Chablis 2021 by Neal Martin
2021 Domaine Billaud-Simon Petit Chablis
The 2021 Petit Chablis, which lost half its crop due to frost (18hl/ha), has a light stony nose that just misses a bit of vigour. The palate offers bitter lemon and touches of mango on the entry, moderate weight but rather short on the finish. (84-86)/100
2021 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis
The 2021 Chablis Village is a clear step up from the Petit Chablis this year with more presence and intensity on the nose. The palate is balanced with red apple and orange pith on the entry and fine acidity, but this has a slightly conservative finish that needs more terroir expression. (85-87)/100
2021 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis Tête d’Or
The 2021 Chablis Tête d’Or has a tightly-wound nose with touches of pressed flower and light fern/damp loamy scents percolating through with time. The palate is fresh on the entry with sour lemon and orange rind, quite strict and linear with a brisk, malic finish. Fine. (86-88)/100
2021 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru
The 2021 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru has an attractive nose with white peach and light white flower aromas, nicely focused and delineated. The palate is vibrant and edgy, just a bit of CO2 in my sample, although it needs more ballast on the finish. (85-87)/100
2021 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis Fourchaume 1er Cru
The 2021 Chablis Fourchaume 1er Cru, which underwent a late malo, has a attractive apple blossom and nettle-scented bouquet. The palate is balanced, fresh, focused and steely with a sharp, quite penetrating finish. Good potential. (89-90)/100
2021 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru
The 2021 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru has a small reduction on the nose from a few barrels that had not settled by the time of my visit. The palate is promising with good substance, fine acidity, and unlike some other cuvées, has good grip with more persistence on the finish. Very fine. (91-93)/100
2021 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru
The 2021 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has a focused bouquet with Granny Smith apples and citrus peel, touches of nettle and flint. The palate is well balanced with orange pith and light peachy notes, then it becomes more steely and Zen-like towards the finish. I would like more salinity here. (87-89)/100
2021 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis Les Blanchots Grand Cru
The 2021 Chablis Les Blanchots Grand Cru has a well balanced bouquet with touches of Granny Smith apples, gooseberry, flint and a touch of citrus lemon. The palate is promising with a tensile, quite vigorous entry, modest weight, a keen thread of acidity with an attractive, spicy finish. Give this two or three years in bottle. (91-93)/100
2021 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru
The 2021 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru, which will see some cask ageing later on during its maturation, has a finely-tuned bouquet with nettle, granite and light white flower aromas. Good intensity. The palate is well balanced with a sapid entry and fine acidity; it’s just beginning to dumb down midway through, so the finish is missing the complexity expressed by the Blanchots. The cask ageing will fill this out a little, so it will be interesting to taste in bottle. (90-92)/100
2021 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis Bougros Grand Cru
The 2021 Chablis Bougros Grand Cru comes from purchase of juice and represents a couple of barrels (half actually aged in steel). The nose is well defined with fine delineation – hints of white peach and pear emerging. The palate is well balanced, that oak a tad pronounced at the moment, though it will be integrated with time. Fine persistence, this will probably be difficult to find but should give 12-15 years drinking pleasure. (91-93)/100
2021 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru
The 2021 Chablis Les Clos Grand Cru is aged only in vat, although there might be some wood contact late on. Frankly, I hope it doesn’t because this has a sense of fullness and some lovely tropical notes discretely interwoven that would make any oak otiose. The palate is well 11/11 balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh, not amazingly complex, but there is decent substance on the finish. Fine. (91-93)/100
2021 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru
The 2021 Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru has a well-defined bouquet and perhaps is the most complete of the Grand Crus from the Domaine. The palate is well balanced with a touch more substance than Les Clos, fine acidity, quite taut and harmonious with good grip and energy on the finish. I can see this ageing nicely in bottle. (92-94)/100
