Samuel Billaud - Chablis Grand Cru 'Vaudesir' White 2021
White
2021
Burgundy
Chablis
Chardonnay
Organic
Tasting Notes & Ratings
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 ratings
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. '