2022 Domaine Samuel Billaud, Chablis Premier Cru, Montée de Tonnerre, White Burgundy, France.
The subtle and elegant Samuel Billaud Montée de Tonnerre Premier Cru Chablis is an ultra delicious and finely detailed Chardonnay from one of the great vineyards in the region with flinty mineral tones, wet stones and a pure cool toned apple, pear, lemon and white peach fruits leading the way on the well rounded palate, along with delicate white flowers, clove spice, oyster shell, a light sense of bread dough, hazelnut, dry honeycomb, and lingering chalkiness. This well balanced and crisp Chablis is not as tension filled and bracing as a young Raveneau Montée, but still still nicely racy and a great example of a terroir driven wine. Formerly the the winemaker at Domaine Billaud-Simon, his family’s well pedigreed old school Chablis estate, Samuel went his own way in 2009 and created his own domaine, which has really taken off in recent years, putting him into elite company in the region, with Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat. Coming from organic vines planted between 1976 and 1986, the Montée de Tonnerre saw a gentle pneumatic pressing, along with a cold settling period with 75% alcoholic and malolactic fermentation done in small thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks and 25% in large 600 liter casks. The aging on fine lees lasted close to 15 months, adding textural pleasure and I think there’s a lot more complexity and depth to come in the future, this is excellent stuff from a top producer.
The prestigious Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre vineyard, one of my absolute favorite sites for Chardonnay, and as mentioned in my prior reviews, is close to the Grand Cru hill and on the classic chalky Kimmeridgian Limestone soils, with Billaud’s and the legendaryRaveneau’s parcels (vines) being mature vines, with he later’s being over 50 years old, that coupled with a cool climate makes for bracing wines with incredible depth and intensity. Billaud, since 2015, has a new winery I learned and has recently purchased outstanding plots in the Grand and Premier Crus including the famed Les Clos, Vaudésir, Montée de Tonnerre, as seen here, Mont de Milieu, Séchet, and in the village level vineyards Les Pargues and Chapelot, as well as a Petit Chablis parcel directly to the north of Les Clos. Samuel is also sourcing fruit from the grand crus Blanchots, Valmur, and Bougros, so there’s an awesome lineup here and the wines are getting better and even more coveted, this is now a bucket list address in Chablis. The Montée de Tonnerre Premier Cru Chablis, on MdT, is definitely a prized wine and while a 1er Cru, there’s Grand Cru class and character, making it a not cheap by any means, but still a great value with all things considered and Billaud’s is very desirable and worthy. Interesting for me, after all the hype about Samuel’s wines, this was my first time with his Premier Cru offering, which I tasted blind, and it was a perfect way to see his wines without prejudice, leaving me very impressed. Thanks to my friend and Chablis enthusiast Alex Lallos, who’s No Limits Fine Wines (company) sells this domaine, for sourcing this beauty for our tasting.
($89 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive