Stéphane Moreau called Forêts “...one of the greatest terroirs of Chablis.” It’s a historical sub-plot within the 1er Cru Montmains, located high up the slope, facing southeast. It can certainly produce Chablis of the highest order, as both Dauvissat and Moreau have shown many times (Raveneau also has a small parcel here). Moreau farms two plots of vines here, totalling just under two hectares. The first is right alongside the vineyard of Vincent Dauvissat and the vines are approximately the same age (60 years old). The second, with 25-year-old vines, sits next to the Raveneau parcel.
As with all of the 1er Cru wines from Moreau-Naudet the wine was aged and fermented in both steel tank and used barrels (30%) of various sizes. This is stunning. The nose, both lifted and intense, throws up pink grapefruit, magnolia flowers and something stony, while the palate is Côte-de-Beaune-like in its breadth and depth. Long and sappy with a mineral/rocky close. Great, great Chablis.
The 2018 Chablis Forets 1er Cru is a very complete wine, even in the early going. Powerful and ample, the Forets offers notable breadth as well as detail. It is another superexpressive Chablis in this range from Moreau-Naudet.