Samuel Billaud 'Les Grands Terroirs' Chablis

In 2014, Samuel Billaud made a welcomed entrance in the top five producers of the region. He struck on his own, after the family business Billaud-Simon was sold to Faiveley, a large operator in Côte-D'Or. Samuel made the wines at the family Domaine for about a decade, and though he was compelled to stick to a family style of wine, it was made with talent. When Samuel left the family, he cherry picked Chablis' elite plots including Grand Crus "Les Clos, Vaudésir and Les Preuses" and notorious Premier crus such as "Montée de Tonnerre, Mont de Milieu, Séchet, and Vaillons". Fast track a few years, and more than ever Billaud is free spirited, and making remarkable wines out of his brand new winery in the center of the village. The style is one of extremely fine tuned balance of Chablis character and concentrated fruit complexity and texture. The use of oak is clever, only on Grand Crus and Premier Crus "Montée de Tonnerre" and "Mont de Milieu". This vintage is a slightly riper but still agreeably fresh nose combines notes of just sliced citrus with those of iodine, seashore and algae. The sleek, attractively textured and vibrant medium-bodied flavors possess good if not truly distinguished depth and persistence. This well-made effort could be enjoyed young or cellared for a few years first.