Samuel Billaud, Chablis

Samuel Billaud crafts Chablis with the precision of a watchmaker and the soul of a poet. Having once been part of the family domaine, Billaud-Simon, he struck out on his own in 2009 and the results have been nothing short of revelatory. His winemaking is meticulous: low yields, gentle handling, restrained oak. The result is a purity and crystalline definition that set his wines apart. These are Chablis of concentration, tension, minerality, and grace.

What truly sets Billaud apart is his ability to articulate the nuances of Chablis’s terroir across the range, from Grand Cru to humble Petit. A case in point is his Petit Chablis, which, in an unusual twist of topography, comes from vineyards perched just above the Grand Cru Les Clos. Hardly the backwater site one might expect from the "Petit" designation. Though planted on Portlandian limestone rather than the more vaunted Kimmeridgian, the wine is nonetheless electric: full of zip and saline freshness, yet with more depth and verve than your average example.

In value terms, it’s a minor miracle. One gets something perilously close to Grand Cru territory in both vineyard proximity and winemaking prowess, but at a price that doesn’t leave your wallet in mourning. It’s Chablis for purists, bargain hunters, and those in the know—a modest label hiding a wine of real pedigree.

Moving up the scale, it’s reasonable to admit that Billaud’s Premiers Crus are not inexpensive—especially when compared to some lesser producers. But what’s in the bottle is nothing short of stunning. For my taste, the 1er Cru ‘Vaillons’ is the standout from both the 2020 and 2021 vintages.