Samuel Billaud Chablis 1er Cru "Vaillons" Vieilles Vignes 2024

90-93 BH

Notes:

Airy and cool aromas include those of white pepper, floral, oyster shell and a whiff of tidal pool character. The super-sleek and borderline painfully intense medium weight flavors possess impressively length on the very dry and cuts-like-a-knife finale. Lovely. Burghound 90-93

Producer: Samuel Billaud established his own domaine after nearly two decades working at his family’s estate, Domaine Billaud-Simon. He began his independent operation in 2009 and later expanded his holdings with several hectares of family vineyards. Today, the domaine works across the Chablis hierarchy, from village wines through an impressive collection of Premier and Grand Crus. Billaud’s approach emphasizes precision, freshness and transparency of site, with élevage tailored to the individual vineyard rather than following one formula throughout the cellar. His old-vine bottlings are particularly interesting, combining the concentration that comes with vine age with the focused, mineral style that has become a hallmark of the domaine.
Vineyard: The Vaillons Vieilles Vignes comes from approximately 60–65-year-old Chardonnay vines situated in the heart of Vaillons on the left bank of the Serein. Vaillons is one of Chablis’ best-known Premier Cru sites, occupying a favorable southeast-facing slope southwest of the town of Chablis. Like much of the appellation, its soils are based on Kimmeridgian limestone and marl, the limestone-rich geological formation closely associated with the classic character of Chablis. The age of the vines gives this bottling additional concentration and distinguishes it from a broader Vaillons blend. The 2024 growing season produced an exceptionally small crop here, with spring hail severely reducing yields in the parcel. The limited fruit that remained produced a concentrated expression while retaining the freshness and mineral definition central to the site.
Winemaking: The 2024 was vinified and raised entirely in stainless steel, keeping oak out of the equation and putting the emphasis firmly on the vineyard. Extended maturation on the lees gives the wine additional texture and substance while preserving the clarity and freshness of the Chardonnay. This is an important distinction within the domaine’s range, where élevage can vary considerably depending on the vineyard. For Vaillons Vieilles Vignes, the neutral vessel allows the combination of old vines, limestone soils and naturally low yields to remain at the center of the wine. The result is a particularly focused expression of Vaillons, combining concentration with the tension, salinity and mineral character that make the vineyard so distinctive.
Technical Details: 100% Chardonnay from the 2024 vintage, classified Chablis Premier Cru AOC. The fruit comes from old vines approximately 60–65 years of age in Vaillons proper. Production was dramatically reduced by hail in 2024, making this an unusually small-volume vintage for the cuvée. Fermentation and élevage take place in stainless steel, followed by extended aging on the lees. Bottled in 750ml format. The combination of vine age, exceptionally low yields and neutral élevage gives the wine considerable concentration without obscuring the freshness and precision of the terroir.
Food Pairing: The combination of concentration, acidity and salinity makes this an excellent match for oysters, scallops, lobster, crab and simply prepared white fish. The additional substance provided by the old vines also allows it to work with richer preparations such as turbot with beurre blanc, roast chicken, veal or sole meunière. Fresh goat cheese is another natural pairing. Serve around 10–12°C, allowing the wine some time in the glass to open and show the additional texture of the old-vine fruit.

Vins Rare

Samuel Billaud Chablis 1er Cru "Vaillons" Vieilles Vignes 2024

Name: Samuel Billaud Chablis 1er Cru "Vaillons" Vieilles Vignes 2024
Brand: Vins Rare
SKU: 102474
Price: 72.00 USD
Availability: InStock