2024 Moreau-Naudet Montée de Tonnerre Chablis 1er Cru Magnum 1.5L, Burgundy

The 2024 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre is a success, opening with notes of beeswax, lemon oil and pear mingled with Granny Smith apple and oyster shell. Medium- to full-bodied and exhibiting considerable ripeness for the vintage, it is built around a taut, chalky core and offers slightly more depth and amplitude than Moreau’s other premier crus this year.

91-93 points Kristaps Karklins, The Wine Advocate

Delightful, with a creamy, rich texture and notes of ripe apricot and quince, edged with flinty mineral notes; the grapes are from a plot right next to Raveneau. If this lacks some of the power of traditional Montée de Tonnerre, it is guaranteed to please those looking for a wine more focused on elegance than power. This will open up in three to five years and improve for at least a decade after that.

94 points Charles Curtis MW, Decanter

One of Chablis’ greatest Premier Cru terroirs, Montée de Tonnerre has a sandy, rocky topsoil rich in Kimmeridgian limestone. Moreau’s one-hectare parcel sits within the lieu-dit of Chapelot, which is separated from the Grand Cru Les Blanchots by a narrow ravine. The vines cover two contiguous plots, one 50 years old and a second, recently replanted parcel. This is a concentrated, layered, rocky wine—incredibly seductive yet also so earthy and mineral. Stunning as always.

Moreau Naudet has become one of the most closely followed domaines in Chablis. The late Stéphane Moreau shaped its modern identity through meticulous vineyard work, natural fermentations and long élevage, producing wines with texture and personality rather than simply chasing austerity. After his sudden death in 2016, his wife Virginie continued the domaine and the philosophy they had built together. Montée de Tonnerre is one of the jewels of the cellar.

Montée de Tonnerre is arguably the most celebrated Premier Cru in Chablis, sitting immediately beside the Grand Cru slope and separated from Blanchot by a narrow ravine. Its Kimmeridgian limestone and marl give Chardonnay remarkable mineral intensity, while the site has a natural combination of concentration and finesse that regularly sees it compared with Grand Cru Chablis. The cooler, difficult 2024 season produced tiny yields, but the best vineyards delivered wines with excellent freshness and precision.

Pale luminous gold, opening with lemon zest, white peach and crisp pear before grapefruit and white flowers emerge. Oyster shell, crushed chalk and fresh almond sit underneath, joined by a faint smoky note. The palate is beautifully focused, with citrus and stone fruit carried by vibrant acidity and a tightly wound mineral core. Preserved lemon, chalk and saline notes gather through a long, precise finish.

Fresh oysters with lemon make an almost unfairly good match, while scallops with cauliflower, grilled marron, steamed snapper or crab with a light beurre blanc have enough delicacy to leave the wine centre stage. A plate of scallops, browned at the edges and finished with lemon and a little butter, sounds particularly difficult to resist.

Cellaring: Best from 2028, with potential to develop through 2040+.