Samuel Billaud Chablis | 2022

I can't believe no one told me about these wines until I ran into them at BYOB Chablis tasting, where a French sommelier requested this exquisite bottling. The name might sound familiar to you. Founded in 2010, and still with no website, Samuel Billaud was the winemaker at his family's legendary estate, Domaine Billaud-Simon. Samuel's new winery is in the heart of Chablis, formerly belonging to Stéphane Moreau-Naudet. It is designed so that Billaud only needs to pump his wines once, then gravity takes over. He has recently acquired parcels in Les Clos, Vaudésir, Montée de Tonnerre, Mont de Milieu, Séchet, and Les Pargues and is sourcing fruit from top growers in Blanchots, Valmur, and Bougros. This simple Chablis is not your typical lemon chalk bomb. Sourced from the sites of Pargues, Chapelot, and Les Cartes, planted between the 1950s and 1980s, the fruit pushes the limit of ripeness, but stays within the boundaries of freshness. It's an energetic yin-yang on the palate of plushness and tautness with just enough goldilocks flair. After a few sips, you'll have to double check the label, to make sure you're not drinking Premier, or Grand, Cru. ~Allegra A