Travelling with a bottle of wine

Journey no.1: Let’s visit Cablis region with a glass of Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons Billaud-Simon 2021

 

Travelling together to the vineyards and wineries where great wines have been produced, we will discover the history of the delicious wine that accompanies our moments.

On thewinelist. cy's first trip we are travelling to France with DOMAINE BILLAUD 'Chablis, 1er Cru. Let's go ahead and get to know its history and origin!

Taste the remarkably harmonious wine

The 100% 1er Cru Chardonnay has been hand harvested, gently pressed and fermented in stainless steel tanks for a period of 14 to 16 months, thus helping to retain the fruit purity and mineral steeliness that Billaud Simon is so well known for.

Chablis 1er Cru Montee De Tonnerre offers a delightful aromatic bouquet of orchard fruits, citrus and spice notes. Clean and refreshing on the palate, it creates a perfect feeling of harmony between body, freshness, sweet fruity notes and intense floral aromas. An undoubtedly complex, elegant and remarkably harmonious wine.

Producer
DOMAINE BILLAUD-SIMON

The Billaud-Simon name is long-established in Chablis, dating back to 1815 when Charles-Louis-Noël Billaud purchased his first vineyards. The estate had remained in family ownership for 200 years until Erwan Faiveley purchased Billaud-Simon for Joseph Faiveley in 2015. This represents a new era for the Faiveley family, one of the Côte d’Or’s most significant vineyard owners, now investing their expertise and commitment to producing great wines in the Yonne and Chablis with approximately 18 hectares of exceptional vineyard holdings including four premier crus and four grand crus.

Under the guidance of Wine Director Olivier Bailly, they remain respectful to the traditions of the estate and continue to sell the wines under the Billaud-Simon name. The style is graceful and pure. Olivier seeks to produce wines with appellation authenticity. Oak is kept to minimal levels, only used judiciously, allowing the natural fruit content to express itself to a maximum.

The Region Chablis

Chablis is world famous for its fine white wine kinds produced from the Chardonnay grapes. The best vineyards are perched above the winding Serein River facing south or southwest, therefore ensuring better ripeness in this cooler climate. It has four appellation levels. Petit Chablis is the most modest and simple followed by Chablis, which is the largest and most prominent. Premier cru Chablis is the third largest when it comes to its appellation and incredibly encompasses almost 40 different climates or vineyards including the famed Montée de Tonnerre, Fourchaumes and Mont de Milieu. The most noble of all Chablis are the grand Crus of which there are 7 climates in total Bougros, Les Preuses, Vaudésir, Grenouilles, Valmur, Les Clos and Blanchot. Chablis wines have remained among those with the best value in the world, particularly their superb grand crus which can easily cost 50% less than its closest equivalent white grand cru neighbour, Corton Charlemagne.

A unique Terroir

The geological heart of the Chablis vineyard is based on the Kimmeridgian, namely marine sediments, algae and shells formed 155 million years ago. This particular geology, loaded with iodine, is transmitted from the roots to the fruits of Chardonnay, giving the wines of Chablis a unique identity.
The Chardonnay matures in Chablis in ideal conditions, in a semi-continental climate, enabling it to achieve a fine balance between its richness in sugar and its salty freshness.