Domaine Moreau-Naudet
Chablis, France
Virginie Moreau
Domaine Moreau-Naudet holds a particularly personal place in the GCS portfolio. We first met Stéphane Moreau through a close friend, and the wines immediately stood apart: Chablis of generosity and depth, but with the mineral energy and freshness that keep you returning to the glass. They quickly became some of the most sought-after wines in our portfolio.
Stéphane's sudden death in 2016 was an enormous loss. What followed, however, has become an equally important part of the domaine's story. His wife, Virginie Moreau, took responsibility for the estate alongside Stéphane's longtime collaborator and cellar master, Coco, determined not simply to preserve his work but to continue developing it. Their daughter Nell joined the domaine in 2020, adding another generation to a family history in Chablis stretching back centuries.
Today, Moreau-Naudet remains unmistakably itself. The wines combine ripe, expressive fruit with the tension of Chablis, shaped by attentive farming, indigenous fermentations, unusually long élevage and an increasingly restrained use of oak.
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It's impossible to discuss the current state of affairs at Domaine Morea-Naudet without mentioning Virginie's husband who died just before the 2016 harvest at just 47 years old. He came from a family of vignerons, as far back as the 17th century, but domaine name itself only came into existence in 1950, following the marriage of Marie Naudet and René Moreau – Stéphane taking on the domaine from his father, Roger, in 1993. Stéphane’s inspiration had been the likes of Vincent Dauvissat and Didier Dagueneau - the later served as further inspiration for the domaine's distinctive label. Today it is Virginie and Stephane's right hand women, Coco leading the domaine forward.
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Stephane was a perfectionist in the vineyard. He eliminated any insecticide or anti-rot treatment, introducing organic amendments through out. The soils are plowed regularly (4 to 5 plows per year), no chemical fertilizers, pesticides or fungicides are used. The fertilizers used are organic in order to promote biodiversity within the rows. The vines are respected and controlled by short pruning, disbudding and green harvests. He especially emphasized the search for the perfect ripeness of the grapes, maturity which is found in this juicy flesh that we immediately appreciate in his wines. He has also greatly improved his aging: “juggling” between vats, barrels and demi-muids, he gradually lengthened them, thus gaining in complexity and balance.
Leading up to his death, Stéphane and Virginie expanded the vineyard from 7 to more than 20 hectares and built a state of the art cellar, on the Vaillons side, which allows simultaneous management of 3 vintages.
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Virginie has continued the work of Stephane, aided by Coco, Stephane’s longtime right hand woman. Fermentation is always with indigenous yeast, followed by a long maceration on lees. The estate has focused on particularly long aging for Chablis, from 18 to 22 months, with a maximum proportion of one-third of barrels on the premiers and grands crus, and only in stainless steel vats for Petit Chablis and AC Chablis. In the new winery, the barrel room has a thermal floor that helps kick off fermentations.
Wines
Petit Chablis
From 2.5 hectares of younger vines, the Petit Chablis receives the same attention as the rest of the range, including hand harvesting and deliberately restrained yields. It is raised for approximately 9 months entirely in stainless steel, preserving its freshness and directness.
Chablis AOC
The domaine's AC Chablis comes from 20- to 60-year-old vines spread between Préhy and Courgis, bringing together sites dominated respectively by limestone and clay. It spends approximately 14 to 20 months on its fine lees, entirely in stainless steel, giving a particularly clear introduction to the fleshy yet mineral style of Moreau-Naudet.
Chablis Vieilles Vignes “Les Pargues"
Les Pargues is a one-hectare lieu-dit with approximately 70-year-old vines and an exposition similar to neighboring Vaillons and Montmains. Though classified as village Chablis, the site has long been considered capable of Premier Cru-level character. Accordingly, Virginie treats it more like a Premier Cru in the cellar, with a significant portion of the élevage taking place in older barrels.
Chablis 1er Cru Beauregard
A newer addition to the domaine's range, Beauregard comes from 0.60 hectare of south-facing, densely planted vines in Courgis, planted by Stéphane around 20 years ago on rocky clay-limestone soils. Virginie waited until she felt the vines were ready before bottling the site separately for the first time in 2022. The grapes are slowly pressed and settled for 24 hours, followed by approximately 20 months of élevage entirely in temperature-controlled tank. Same south exposition as Valmur, denser plantations for concentration & aromatics. More floral.
Chablis 1er Cru Forets
Virginie farms two parcels in Forêts totaling approximately 1.7 hectares: one of roughly 60-year-old vines beside Vincent Dauvissat's holdings and another of approximately 25-year-old vines neighboring Raveneau. Mixed clays and decomposed rock over limestone, together with the warm southeastern exposure, give Forêts its characteristic power and intensity. Approximately 30% of the élevage takes place in barrel.
Chablis 1er Cru Montmains
The domaine's 0.65 hectare of Montmains includes old-vine parcels in Montmains itself, Butteaux and Vieux Mulot, averaging around 55 years of age and rooted in distinctive blue clay soils. Virginie sees Montmains as naturally broad and substantial, so she raises it entirely in stainless steel to preserve tension and keep that inherent richness in balance.
Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons
The domaine farms approximately 1.7 hectares across Roncière, Séchet and Épinottes, including 75-year-old vines in Séchet. Vaillons is raised predominantly in tank with only around 10% oak, an increasingly restrained élevage that allows the character of these old vines and the site itself to remain at the forefront.
Chablis 1er Cru Montee de Tonnerre
From a one-hectare parcel of approximately 50-year-old vines in Chapelot, this is consistently the domaine's most mineral-driven Premier Cru. Sandy soils and rocky topsoil over Kimmeridgian limestone contribute to its particularly incisive character. Élevage is approximately two-thirds stainless steel and one-third barrel, balancing the natural intensity of the site with precision and drive.
Chablis Grand Cru Valmur
Moreau-Naudet's sole Grand Cru comes from just over half a hectare of approximately 35-year-old vines with a fully southern exposure. Despite the natural power and ripeness of the site, Virginie now raises Valmur entirely in stainless steel, part of her broader move toward less oak in pursuit of greater freshness, precision and transparency.