billaud

2020  

"An elegant, admirably pure and airy nose freely offers up its aromas of green apple, lemon rind, oyster shell and iodine. There is again fine energy and detail to the equally saliva-inducing medium weight flavors that flash plenty of salinity on the complex, long and balanced finale. This too is excellent for its level." - 89-92/Outstanding BH

2020  Montee de Tonnerre

"A restrained, elegant and pure nose displays notes of various floral influences, citrus, Granny Smith apples and mineral reduction. The refined but almost painfully intense medium-bodied flavors exhibit a lovely sense of minerality that adds a sense of lift to the impressively long and well-balanced finale. Lovely and really quite classy." - 93/Outstanding BH ---- "The 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre is another notable success for Samuel Billaud this year. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of white flowers, citrus oil, white currants, freshly baked bread and beeswax, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a layered mid-palate underpinned by racy acids, concluding with a long, saline finish." - 93+pts WA

2020  Montee de Tonnerre

Montee de Tonnerre ---- "The 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre is another notable success for Samuel Billaud this year. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of white flowers, citrus oil, white currants, freshly baked bread and beeswax, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a layered mid-palate underpinned by racy acids, concluding with a long, saline finish." - 93+pts WA ---- "Billaud noted that this will also have about 20% wood in the final blend. A restrained, elegant and pure nose displays notes of various floral influences, citrus and mineral reduction. The refined but almost painfully intense medium-bodied flavors exhibit a lovely sense of minerality that adds a sense of lift to the impressively long and well-balanced finale. Lovely." - 91-94pts/Sweet Spot Outstanding BH

2021  

"There are only 300 bottles of the 2021 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos, but the wine has turned out superbly, mingling aromas of citrus zest, clear honey, white flowers, wet stones, freshly baked bread and iodine in a classically Chablisien bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, deep and chalky, with prodigious reserves of dry extract, racy acids and a long, saline finish, anyone lucky enough to taste it will be delighted." - 95pts WA

2020  Mont de Milieu

"Billaud noted that this will have about 20% wood in the final blend. Here too there is a vague whiff of the exotic to the aromas of passion fruit, white peach, mineral reduction and shrimp shell scents. There is again very good density to the intense big-bodied flavors that possess a caressing but muscular finish that coats the palate. This is already showing fine complexity and overall, is a wine that should amply repay extended bottle aging." - 91-91pts/Sweet Spot Outstanding, BH

2019  Montée de Tonnerre

Montée de Tonnerre ---- "Moderate but not invasive oak frames the elegant, airy and quite pretty aromas of white flowers, various citrus and oyster shell wisps. There is excellent intensity to the overtly mineral-driven middle weight flavors that flash very good cut on the sneaky long, lemony and solidly dry and firm finale. This lovely effort is a relatively classic MdT and should age accordingly." - 91-94/Sweet Spot Outstanding Burghound

2020  Sechet V.V.

Sechet V.V. ---- "Always one of the highlights in Billaud's range, the 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Séchet Vieilles Vignes has once again turned out brilliantly. Exhibiting aromas of crisp orchard fruit, white currants, citrus zest, pastry cream and freshly baked bread, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and chiseled, with an ample core of fruit, racy acids and a long, saline finish. It's worth a special effort to seek out." - 94pts WA

2021  Sechet V.V.

Sechet V.V. comes from a .60 ha holding of 80+ year old vines ---- "This is also aromatically cool and restrained with its overtly citrus-suffused aromas of ripe white orchard fruit, iodine and ocean breeze. There is borderline painful intensity to the dense, sappy and markedly stony flavors that conclude in a strikingly long, moderately dry and well-balanced finale. This is packed with potential and should prove to be especially long-lived. This beauty is first-rate Séchet." - Sweet Spot Outstanding, Burghound