2018 Louis Moreau Chablis Burgundy France 750 ml

Our weekly judging panel can get heated, as Wine Team members pour their wines and then advocate for them, eager to prove that theirs are worthy of Wine Access members. But every so often, a wine will make an open-and-shut case for itself—and the sheer pleasure-to-price ratio of the Louis Moreau evoked nothing but nodding heads and flat-out agreement. This is a white wine that didn’t just meet our strict standards, but blew past them.

The freshly poured 2018 Louis Moreau Chablis was glimmering in our glasses, and as we all took deep inhales, pure aromatics of green apple, salted lemon peel, and white flowers leapt from the glass, along with the oyster shell minerality that is a hallmark of top Chablis. Open and expressive yet pinpoint-focused, that first pour showed us the kind of ripeness, purity, and mouthwatering salinity that we associate with Premier Cru-level Chablis.

This stunning Chablis, which won top honors from Wine & Spirits magazine and the Decanter World Wine Awards, got even better once we got into the details. We stocked up last time around, and are doubling our orders this time. Louis Moreau is firmly our go-to Chablis. 

A big part of the Moreau value owes to the family’s history. They’ve been in Chablis for over 200 years, which means they can afford to take a long view: When fluctuations in the market and other unpredictable events occur—like the low-yielding 2015 and 2016 harvests that caused many producers to raise prices—Moreau can stand firm, which makes their stellar Chablis stand out for its value nearly as much as for its quality and complexity.  

As one member who got in on the last vintage of this crystalline Chablis noted: “Have had Chablis of cru status that are multiples of this price which are inferior. Bought case and don’t regret.” We recommend stocking up—we have just 26 cases to share.

Over their centuries in Chablis, the Moreau family has accumulated 124 acres of vines, and the 2018 Chablis is a domaine bottling. That means the grapes are harvested and the wine is bottled properly on the estate, and the 2018 showcases the energy of very healthy grapes that are farmed under the philosophy known as la lutte raisonée (“the reasoned struggle”). The deep-rooted, 40-45-year-old vines get significantly less exposure to herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides, and this wine puts those healthy and vibrant Chardonnay grapes on full display.

It all results in a domaine-raised Chablis that boasts Premier Cru-type pedigree for a price that rivals those of the largest négociant houses’ large-production wines. Compelling character, perfect ripeness, and the cut and salty mineral edge that we expect from top-flight Chablis—that’s what Moreau’s 2018 brings, and it’s why our Wine Team, down to a person, are each taking home several bottles. We recommend you follow their lead.