Billaud-Simon : Chablis 1er cru "Vaulorent" 2022

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Billaud-Simon’s Chablis 1er cru "Vaulorent" 2022

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a pale golden color with luminous, slightly green reflections.

Nose

The nose reveals remarkable freshness with aromas of citrus and citrus zest, accompanied by notes of Timut pepper. After aeration, the bouquet evolves toward fragrances of exotic fruits, notably lychee and roasted pineapple, enhanced by toasted nuances.

Palate

On the palate, this wine charms with its fresh attack and velvety texture with a fine and delicate grain. The palate unfolds a fruity and juicy character with beautiful definition, before finishing on a long and elegant finish marked by notes of toasted hazelnut and roasted almond, enhanced by a saline touch that brings persistence and aromatic resonance.

Food and wine pairings

This Chablis 1er cru "Vaulorent" 2022 pairs perfectly with raw or lightly prepared seafood, notably oysters and scallops that echo its marine minerality. It also accompanies lobster preparations with champagne sauce, eel fricassees, or fish terrines with elegance. White meats in creamy sauces, such as veal, also make excellent pairings. This wine also pairs harmoniously with green vegetables such as asparagus and artichokes, as well as with aged goat cheeses.

Serving and cellaring

Chablis 1er cru "Vaulorent" 2022 is best enjoyed at a temperature between 11 and 13°C. It is recommended to allow it to open gradually in the glass for thirty to forty-five minutes after opening to fully reveal its aromatic complexity. This wine can be enjoyed now and will cellar well until around 2032.

An exceptional Chablis Premier Cru expressing the minerality of Burgundy’s Kimmeridgian terroir

The estate

The Billaud-Simon Estate was founded in 1815 by Charles Louis Noël Billaud upon his return from the Napoleonic wars. The property experienced real growth after 1945 thanks to the partnership between Jean Billaud and his father-in-law Jules Simon, who modernized the estate and carried out the first estate bottling in 1954. In 2014, the estate was acquired by the Faiveley family, a prestigious Burgundian négociant house established in 1825 and now led by Erwan Faiveley, the seventh generation. Under the technical direction of Olivier Bailly, estate manager since 2014, the domaine cultivates seventeen hectares of vines spread across both banks of the Serein, producing Chablis wines renowned for their minerality and precision. The estate obtained organic farming certification in July 2025.

The vineyard

The Chablis 1er cru "Vaulorent" comes from a climat located on the right bank of the Serein, technically attached to the Premier Cru Fourchaume and positioned directly adjacent to the Grand Cru Les Preuses. The parcels benefit from optimal south-southwest exposure and rest on Kimmeridgian clay-limestone soils composed of middle and upper limestones alternating with marls containing exogyra virgula, geological formations dating back 155 million years rich in oyster fossils and marine matter. These soils give the wine its iodine character and distinctive saline minerality. The vines average twenty-five to thirty years of age.

The vintage

The 2022 vintage in Chablis proved particularly favorable for the production of quality wines, offering a harmonious balance between ripeness and concentration of the grapes. Harvesting of the Vaulorent parcels took place between August 27 and August 31, according to the estate’s harvesting protocols to achieve optimal phenolic ripeness while preserving the fresh acidity characteristic of the appellation.

Vinification and aging

After pressing, the musts of the Chablis 1er cru "Vaulorent" 2022 underwent static cold settling in temperature-controlled tanks. Alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation took place partly in wooden barrels and partly in stainless steel tanks. Aging then continued for approximately twelve months in both types of containers to bring subtle textural complexity without masking the mineral authenticity of the terroir. The wine was then refined on fine lees for six months before bottling with minimal filtration.

Grape variety

100% chardonnay