First and foremost a wine of textural finesse and elegance, the 2010 Chablis Vaudesir is utterly impeccable from the very first taste. Nothing in particular stands out, as all the elements are beautifully balanced. Smoke, licorice, apricots and spices wrap around a generous finish supported by clean veins of minerality. For the Vaudesir, Moreau aged 60% of the wine in oak. Anticipated maturity: 2012. There are a handful of famous producers in Chablis, and a larger number of emerging estates, but the few wineries are as overlooked as Christian Moreau. This is one of the few domaines where I preferred the 2011s to the 2010s. The 2011s have notable freshness and energy, while the 2010s are at times a bit on the heavy side. Perhaps it is a question of harvest dates or the conversion to biodynamic farming that was in its second year in 2011, or a combination of other factors, but it is pretty clear the 2011s have the upper hand when tasted next to the 2010s. The 2011 harvest started on September 2, a good two weeks earlier than 2010. Some of the wines were chaptalized by half a percent. Total acidities were in the 4.5-5% range, which Moreau reports as being similar to 2010. The 2011 Chablis was bottled the first week of June. I tasted the rest of the 2011s from tank or barrel. The 2010s were harvested beginning on September 16th. These are decidedly rich, large-scaled wines endowed with considerable concentration. Yields were down 30-50% because of hail and poor flowering, and that has marked the wines to a significant degree. Overall, I have a slight preference for the 2011s, which are less bombastic than the 2010s. Importer: Frederick Wildman and Sons Ltd, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700