2021 Bourgogne Blanc

Quietly blown away by Moreau’s 2020s earlier this year, which came from purchased fruit since he had only just established his own holdings after splitting from Domaine Bernard Moreau, I eagerly waited to taste his first “real” vintage. I have high expectations, and some of these wines sweep past those until I become exhausted from superlatives. This is one of those tastings where I have to retain my poker face and disguise the thrill of tasting the debuts from possibly Burgundy’s most exciting winemaker. His triumph in such a challenging vintage makes his achievements all the more remarkable.

“There was a lot of damage,” Moreau explains at his new facility in the rather unromantic setting of Chassagne’s industrial park. “The Premier Crus were affected by 60% to 70%, averaging around 25hl/ha, and summer was humid and cool. July and August were complicated by the slow ripening of the grapes, although [potential alcohol] degrees increased during September. In the end, we lost fruit from frost, but not through rot, treating parcels of fragile vines farmed biodynamically and threatened by rot immediately and throughout the growing period. I picked over ten days from 23 September with alcohol levels around 12.8% to 13.0%, taking time to harvest and finishing with the Bourgogne Blanc. I was a bit cautious since it is the first vinification in my winery. Some malos did not finish until summer, whereas in 2022, they were very quick. The reds are 100% de-stemmed and macerated via infusion as it was easy to extract unwanted elements during their 12-day cuvaison. They underwent a small amount of remontage but no pigeage.”

My eulogistic notes and scores speak for themselves. These are benchmark wines that send electricity down your spine. I have to say that the whites are so exceptional that they “loom” over Moreau’s raft of Beaujolais wines; for as good as they are, they don’t have the magic that is bestowed upon his whites. Quantities are tiny, as you would expect, though thankfully, the more abundant 2022 is on the horizon.