Burghound.com - October 2002

Domaine Billaud-Simon (Chablis)
2001 CHABLIS  (83-86)
2001 CHABLIS LES CLOS - GRAND CRU  (89-91)
2001 CHABLIS MONT DE MILIEU - PREMIER CRU  (86-89)
2001 CHABLIS MONTEE DE TONNERRE - PREMIER CRU  (87-90)
2001 CHABLIS LES VAILLONS - PREMIER CRU  (85-87)
2001 CHABLIS VAUDESIR - GRAND CRU  (88-90)
2000 CHABLIS TETE D'OR  - 84
2000 CHABLIS FOURCHAUME - PREMIER CRU  - 90
2000 CHABLIS MONT DE MILIEU - PREMIER CRU  - 87
2000 CHABLIS MONTEE DE TONNERRE - PREMIER CRU  - 89
2000 CHABLIS VAILLONS - PREMIER CRU -  87
2000 CHABLIS VAUDESIR - GRAND CRU - 91

2001 CHABLIS (83-86)
Classic Chablis nose with soft, almost discreet fruit with fresh, clean, bright flavors and a zesty lemon/citrus and mineral-laden finish. Correct if not special and this should benefit from a year or two of cellar time.

2001 CHABLIS PREMIER CRU LES VAILLONS
Generous, full nose of white flowers and a hint of the exotic with pretty, clean, fresh flavors well supported by integrated acidity. This too is zesty and crisp with good if not special persistence and I suspect it will come around rather quickly. (85-87) 

2001 PREMIER CRU MONT DE MILIEU
(from 35 year old vines)
Already quite expressive with lightly spiced, very fresh fruit and a hint of the same exotic notes found in the Vaillons. This is also racier with lovely Chablis flavors and a fine, understated character to the complex, fine finish. A clear step up. (86-89)

2001 CHABLIS PREMIER CRU MONTÉE DE TONNERRE
(from 35 year old vines)
There is more of everything here with intense, pure, fresh and racy fruit and flavors that offer excellent power. This is classic Chablis in style and though this is not austere, it is certainly more reserved than any of the prior wines. I particularly liked the finishing intensity and this is positively brimming with minerality. A success for the vintage. (87-90)
( I also tasted a second sample from 70 years old vines that will compromise about one-third of the final blend and though it was slightly more concentrated, the essential character was unchanged ).

2001 CHABLIS GRAND CRU VAUDÉSIR
(from a 43 ha parcel of 40 year old vines)
Slightly sweet, rather fruity notes introduce big, rich, relatively powerful and nicely chiseled flavors that deliver real volume. This is both well muscled and intense and delivers excellent minerality in a medium weight package. Classy, fine and discreet and although it is not distinctly better than the Montée de Tonnerre at this point. I suspect it will develop slightly more complexity with botlle age. (88-90)

2001 CHABLIS GRAND CRU LES CLOS
(from a 47 ha parcel of 60+ year old vines)
Bigger and richer than the Vaudésir with beautifully intense and nicely pure aromas that have less obvious sweetness to them. The flavors are thick, indeed almost chewy in texture with a wet stones and intense minerality to them and this has a fine, long, persistent finish. This is very good if not exceptional for the vintage and shoud repay 4 to 6 years of cellar time. 
(88-91)

YOUR BROWSER
DOES NOT
SUPPORT JAVA!

I met with Bernard Billaud who commented that neither 2000 nor 2001 were ideal at harvest time. He went on to explain that in his view, heat brings sugar but it is light that brings finesse and both vintages could have used a bit more of one or the other. Billaud surprisingly describes  2001 as producing average yields and wines that are "good but fragile and without the structure for long aging." He further explained that he was worried about the vintage at the beginning but that the slow malos have brought harmony plus enough structure and balance that it should be an above average, if not necessarily great, vintage. Interestingly, Billaud believes that 1991 is the best vintage parallel because they too were a bit thin at first but with age, put on weight. By contrast, Billaud describes 2000 as a much more stuctured and classicaly styled vintage that should age well but one that has sufficient fat to be approachable young. While he likes the 2000 vintage and is of the view that 2000 is certainly superior to 2001, he does not claim greatness for it either. Interestingly, Billaud went on to say that while 2000 is clearly better at the Petit Chablis and Chablis levels, it is only marginally better at the premier and grand cru levels.
There is a large, modern, state-of-the-art cuverie and for the 2001 vintage, Billaud proudly showed me the new conveyor belt system which replaces the old pumps to move fruit to the presses. The grapes at this 20 ha domaine are harvested by hand and machine though Billaud takes pains to point out that all the premiers and grands crus are harvested exclusively by hand. After a relatively long, low temperature débourbage (though Billaud said that he extended the period even longer in 2001 because he was worried about the quality of the lees), fermentation takes place in tank( though a few cuvées are partially vinified in cask though none are new ) with minimal bâtonnage over the 18 month élevage period; the élevage itself is also largely in steel tanks but a few of the cuvées (so noted below) see wood. The wines are then bottled after a light fining and filtration.
Note: Billaud-Simon has 4 grands crus but neither the Blanchots nor the Preuses had yet finished their malos at the time of my July visit.

(Langdon Shiverick Inc.,Cleveland,Ohio)

2000 CHABLIS "TÊTE D'OR"
(A mix of stainless and wood élevage; Billaud said that 18% of the final cuvée was aged in older oak). Ripe, rich and forward with a hint of tennel and decidedly less acidity than any of the prior wines. Delicious but not classic in style; in short, this is perfectly good chardonnay but not particularly good Chablis. (84)

2000 CHABLIS PREMIER CRU LES VAILLONS
Fresh, ripe and pure green apple and stone scents introduce medium weight flavors that offers excellent delineation and plenty of supporting acidity. This is much more classicaly styled than than the Tête d' Or. (87)

2000 CHABLIS PREMIER CRU MONT DE MILIEU (87)
Finer and more delicate than the Vaillons with a beautifully understated spicy quality to the fruit and a subbtle, almost sneaky intensity that manifests itself on the long finish. Discreet but very pretty.

2000 CHABLIS PREMIER CRU MONTÉE DE TONNERRE (89)
As one would except, this is bigger, richer and more concentrated yet everything remains in perfect harmony. The finish offers a touch of honey and this is elegant and refined in style though it doesn' t have quite the same level of acidity as the Mont de Milieu. I very much like this.  

2000 CHABLIS GRAND CRU FOURCHAUME (90)
It' s not often that Fourchaume can out muscle a good Montée de Tonnerre but that is exactly what this does as it is round, powerful and sappy with excellent drive and finishing intensity. 
This too does not have the same acid support as the Mont de Milieu but it remains in fine balance. A very solid effort.

2000 CHABLIS GRAND CRU VAUDÉSIR (91)
Wonderfully complex nose offering scents of white flowers, green apples, wet stones and lavander with outstanding mid-palate concentration; in fact, this caots the mouth and offers plenty of drive, power and superb lenght. A complete wine with a touch of finishing austerity.

| | | | | | | | | |  | |