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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) |
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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.
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