Samuel Billaud : Chablis 1er cru "Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes" 2022

Characteristics and tasting notes of the Chablis 1er Cru "Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes" 2022 Samuel Billaud

Tasting notes

Colour

A beautiful pale yellow colour, this white wine shines with the brightness of its youth.

Nose

The bouquet opens generously on aromas of sweet stone fruit and white flowers, underscored by mineral notes of wet stone. With aeration, subtle touches of orchard fruit, brioche and lanolin come to enrich this aromatic palette.

Palate

The medium- to full-bodied fruit is endowed with a satiny texture and a saline profile. It reveals flavours of exotic fruit accompanied by delicate notes of bread crust. The finish, carried by a lovely acidity that progressively tightens, comes across as taut, saline and remarkably persistent.

Food and wine pairing

This white wine pairs perfectly with fresh oysters, seafood or delicate fish (scallops, halibut, sole) prepared with a light cream sauce or herb butter. It also pairs very well with sushi, poultry in cream sauce, summer salads with citrus, as well as soft-ripened or aged goat cheeses.

Service and storage

This Chablis 1er Cru "Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes" 2022 can be enjoyed now for its freshness, but it possesses a solid structure allowing it to evolve favourably in the cellar, drinking well until around 2038.

The elegance and mineral tension of a great white Chablis

The estate

Located in the heart of the Chablis appellation in France, in the Burgundy region, the Samuel Billaud estate was officially founded in 2009. Coming from a long line of winegrowers, Samuel Billaud, the current owner, first honed his experience for more than twenty years at the family estate before setting out on his own. Since 2015, he has been vinifying in modern gravity-flow facilities. Recognised as one of the region's most talented producers, he cultivates his vines according to the principles of sustainable farming, favouring controlled yields.

The vineyard

This wine comes from the renowned climat Les Vaillons, located on the left bank of the Serein in Chablis. The vines, sixty years old on average, benefit from a beautiful south and south-east exposure. The terroir is characterised by surface soils made up of sticky clay, resting on a subsoil rich in Kimmeridgian limestone. This unique geology allows the grapes to ripen quickly while drawing on the mineral tension typical of the appellation.

The vintage

After a particularly difficult previous year, the 2022 vintage stood out for its warm and very dry weather conditions. The vines showed vigorous vegetative growth, compensating for the stress of the previous year. The harvest, carried out early, at the beginning of September, made it possible to pick grapes in perfect health.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes are hand-harvested with rigorous sorting. For this Chablis 1er Cru "Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes" 2022, fermentation takes place at slightly warmer temperatures than usual, with the use of indigenous yeasts and the bold reincorporation of a portion of the fine lees. Aging continues for up to eighteen months on the lees. Part of the wine (around 15%) is aged in large-format oak barrels (450 to 600 litres), including a proportion of new wood, to add complexity without masking the identity of the terroir.

Grape variety

Chardonnay (100%).