Wine Region: Burgundy - France
Grape: 100% Chardonnay.
Tasting notes:This is a Chablis to serve at a slightly warmer temperature as it really opened up over the hour it sat in the glass. Its initially floral aromas add a lightly earthy and chalky note as the wine warms. Pomelo, yellow current and white raspberries all surface, too. The palate is delicate and feathery, making this one of the more airy, elegant Preuses of the vintage.
Expert Rating:Wine Advocate - 93/100
'Billaud's 2021 Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses derives from 60-year-old vines in the heart of the climat, and they have turned in a compelling performance this year, delivering a wine of lovely aromatic range that evokes sweet citrus oil, crisp stone fruit and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, it's fine-boned, bright and mineral, concluding with a saline finish. Samuel Billed continues to cement his reputation as one of the town's best half-dozen producers, crafting wines characterized by textural seamlessness and unerring precision. Working with four hectares of organically farmed estate vineyards, supplemented by purchased grapes, manual harvesting of ripe but bright fruit is the rule here, followed by fermentation at 16 to 20 degrees Celsius in tank or inconspicuous wood, then maturation for 15 to 18 months on the lees for the premier cru and grand cru bottlings. Billaud observed that, in his experience, Chablis's right bank fared better than its left, and he was able to retain more lees for his right bank cuvées. This is a strong portfolio that avoids the vintage's weak points and capitalizes on its strengths, and it will appeal to Chablis purists. I've also reviewed some 2022s that were already in bottle, as they are likely to reach the market before I make it back to the region. '
About the winery: The Billaud family have been producing great Chablis since 1815. 6th generation Samuel set out on his own in 2010 and it is fair to say that after a decade, his dynamic approach and great winemaking touch have taken his domaine from a status of Rising Star to one of the very best, established growers in the region.
Samuel makes precise, elegant and terroir-true expressions of every vineyard in his care. His wines are electric and simply crackle with the tension and vibrancy which can be found in the region's best wines. Offering scintillating wines from the refreshing, steely fresh Petit-Chablis through to bold and dynamic Grand Crus, Samuel Billaud is a master of his craft, and as Neal Martin points out, "We should see him right at the top of Chablis producers alongside the likes of Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat". These are singular Chablis and the sheer embodiment of purity and poise.
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