2022 Bourgogne Blanc

As I have stated several times in recent reports, Chassagne is a hotbed of talent at the moment. After splitting with his brother Alex at Domaine Bernard Moreau & Fils, Benoît Moreau hit the ground running with his 2020s that gave notice of a winemaker with lofty ambitions and the talent to fulfill them. He has “the knack”. This was the third vintage I have tasted at his new facility on the outskirts of Chassagne, where diggers were excavating adjacent land that will house Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard’s new winery. As he did last year, Moreau provided a makeshift “desk” for my laptop comprising a small tower of cases, which makes it the most expensive desk on my travels, given current secondary market prices. Moreau seems to be taking the adulation in his stride. “In 2022, there was no stress in the vines. We picked on August 24 and finished on September 1. We just pressed and racked the day after directly into barrels for all the cuvées. The wines will be bottled in March or April. Alcohol is between 12.6% to 13.2%.” I arrived full of expectation and did not depart disappointed. These wines show breathtaking precision and vitality, each articulating their respective terroirs in accomplished style. His La Grande Ruchotte is as good a Chassagne-Montrachet as you will find in 2022, with Maltroie and Les Chenevotte just a whisker behind. Readers should also check out his Beaujolais range under the L’Arlésienne label.