2018  Mont de Milieu

Mont de Milieu -- "Touches of the exotic are present in the form of lychee nut, dried apricot and white peach along with hints of petrol and quinine. The succulent and borderline oily medium weight plus flavors possess an abundance of dry extract that imparts a sappy texture to the bitter lemon finish where an interesting hint of marmalade appears. This isn't classic but it is actually quite good." - 90-93pts/Sweet Spot Outstanding -- 2018 Chablis 1er Mont de Milieu from Domaine Pinson which is one of the highest rated 1er Cru Chablis in the most recent Burghound report! It received the same exact score as Dauvissat 1er Vaillons 2018 and Raveneau 1er Butteaux 2018 (Raveneau 1er Montee de Tonnerre 2018 received almost the same exact score of 91-93). This wine scored higher than the following wines: Dauvissat 1er Sechets 2018 (90-92), Raveneau 1er Montmains 2018 (90-92).

2018  

"The 2018 Chablis 1er Cru Séchet Vieilles Vignes is a worthy successor to the superb 2017 rendition, delivering aromas of crisp orchard fruit, crushed chalk, white flowers and fresh bread. Medium to full-bodied, layered and incisive, it's concentrated and penetrating, with racy acids and a long, chalky finish." - 93+ WA ---- "The 2018 Chablis Séchet 1er Cru is creamy and resonant in the glass, with striking textural richness and tons of sheer character. A whole range of mineral and soil-driven inflections give the Séchet much of its distinctive character. Graphite, smoke, and earthy notes linger on the finish. More than anything else, the Séchet is a wine of real substance." - 92-94 Vinous

2015  Grand Cru Chablis

Grand Cru Chablis -- For those of you who love the crisp, chalky salinity of fine Chablis, the name Billaud should ring a few bells. Domaine Billaud Simon, currently under the direction of Bernard Billaud, has been a powerhouse in old school Chablisienne quality for two centuries now, since 1815. Samuel, nephew of Bernard, began making the wines at Billaud Simon some twenty years ago and for two decades all was well enough. However, as is so often the case with large personalities, family tensions flared due to differing opinions about vinification. There was a schism and in 2009 Samuel founded his fledgling, super-hot project, Domaine Samuel Billaud. Due to his deep roots in Chablis, Samuel is able to source grapes from some of the finest, most well-established growers in both premier and grand cru terroirs (2011 is his first vintage of Les Clos and currently the only grand cru he’s making.) There was some wine released in 2009 however Samuel is clear to state that his first official vintage was 2010. Premier and Grand Cru sees about 15% new wood in the form of large 450 and 600 L barrels, which offsets any overt "oakiness." The rest is fermented in small stainless steel tank. The resulting range, from AC to Grand Cru, are layered wines rife with crunchy oyster shell and silex, and exhibit a range of flavor profiles from licorice to white peach to toasty baguette. This is top quality Chablis from a rising star producer - for white Burgundy lovers, these are not to be missed.