PETIT CHABLIS > J MOREAU & FILS

Varietal

100% Chardonnay. Yield: 50 hl/ha.

Tasting notes

Colour: Pale gold with green tints.
Nose: Flavours of citrus fruits (mandarin) and white flowers.
Mouth: Pleasant aromas of peach and yellow fruits with a nice mineral finale
as a reminder of the terroir where this wine comes from.

Food and wine pairing

Serve as an aperitif, with oysters and fish tapas. Will also be a good companion to all fish, poultry and white meats, grilled or in creamy sauce.

Serving suggestions

Serve ideally at a temperature of 12°C (54°F).

Ageing potential

This wine can be enjoyed now or kept in the cellar for the next 3 years.

Origin

The Petit Chablis area of appellation covers 1,230 ha of which approximately 1,000 ha are currently under vine.

The vines grow on Portlandian limestone plateaus, with clay from the Tertiary Era.

The Chardonnay grapes used to make this cuvée come from 2 areas selected for their different and complementary characteristics: the "dessus des clos" plateau, which gives the grapes a very high degree of ripeness and a lovely richness on the palate, and the Beine village plateaux, which provide freshness and subtle aromas of citrus fruit and white flowers.

J. Moreau & Fils «Les Petits Dieux» is named after the small Celtic statuettes still dotted around some of the Chablis vineyards.

Vinification and maturing

Musts and grapes were brought in the winery for a long pressing. Once the juice was settled, the fermentation started with the addition of selected yeasts in stainless steel tanks under controlled temperatures (20°C.) to preserve as much fruit as possible. In order to get a wine more supple, we let the malolactic fermentation begin 10 days after the alcoholic fermentation; it ended by the end of November. The wine was then aged on partial lees for 4 to 5 months.

Vintage : 2020

The Covid crisis has certainly marked this year’s harvest, which nonetheless has been able to go ahead! Despite the year’s record temperatures and lack of rainfall, there is been no lack of quality, although yields are down, with an especially mixed picture with regard to reds. However, these have generally been very well-balanced. Overall, we have seen nice levels of acidity, promising good aging potential…

A record-breaking vintage:

- Record-breaking harvest: The first Chablis grapes were harvested on 24th August. For the record, last year the first grapes were not picked until the 13th September!

- Record-breaking heat: temperatures regularly broke the 35°C mark (95°F). Many winemakers did their harvesting at night-time to deliver optimal juice quality.

- Record-breaking quantities of grapes picked: we pressed the equivalent of more than 40 hectares (98.84 acres).

- Record-breaking numbers of old vines with more than 50 hectares (123.55 acres) of vines aged between 40 and 55 years, not to mention plots of Chablis dating to 1934 and plots of Aligoté planted in 1929!

- Record-breaking disinfection measures taken to protect employees and wine-makers and help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

First tastings by Lucie Depuydt:

«We got acidity levels that were just right for the balance we were trying to achieve. Fermentation came along very nicely; we have been working with grapes with decent levels of sugar (unlike the previous two years) and the yeasts, whether naturally-occurring or selected, appreciated this. The process of alcoholic fermentation has been completed in more than 95% of vats. The Chablis eraly featured intense aromas of pink grapefruit and pear. We put the Premiers Crus and Grands Crus into oak barrels, using a large number of 450 and 500 litre barrels to add finesse and elegance to the wine. Malolactic fermentation brought extra roundness and lots of complexity to our wines».