Billaud Simon Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots featured image
Billaud-Simon Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots 2024
Vintage
2024
Region
Chablis, Burgundy
Country
France
Style
Still
Grape Varieties
Chardonnay
ABV
13%
Dietary
Vegan, Vegetarian
Sustainability
Organic Viticulture
Domaine Billaud-Simon
Domaine Billaud-Simon is a historic Chablis estate in Burgundy, France, established in 1815 and known for precise, mineral-driven Chardonnay from some of the appellation’s best sites. Based in the commune of Chablis, the domaine covers almost 17 hectares, including Grand Cru Chablis from Les Clos, Les Preuses, Vaudésir and Les Blanchots, as well as Premier Cru wines from Fourchaume, Montée de Tonnerre, Mont de Milieu and Les Vaillons. Billaud-Simon offers a clear reference point for fine Chablis, combining old vines, Kimmeridgian soils and a pure, mineral style.
Read MoreViticulture
Billaud-Simon Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots 2024 comes from a 0.18-hectare Domaine parcel within the 12.70-hectare Grand Cru climat. The name is linked to the site’s pale, stony soils, composed of whitish limestone over light-coloured clay-limestone subsoil. The vineyard is planted to Chardonnay on Kimmeridgian soils from the Upper Jurassic, with very hard, often ochre-yellow, highly fossiliferous marls. Situated on the right bank with south and south-east exposure, Blanchots gives wines of floral elegance, mineral finesse and length.
Vinification
The grapes were hand-harvested, manually sorted and gently pressed in a pneumatic press. Static cold settling lasted 12 to 24 hours in stainless steel, giving bright, clear musts. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentations occurred naturally in stainless steel vats. The wine was aged for 15 to 18 months in stainless steel, with possible time in French oak barrels to bring complexity and richness while preserving freshness and minerality. It was racked twice before bottling at the end of autumn.
2024
The 2024 vintage was marked by difficult conditions and very low yields. A mild, rainy winter was followed by frost from 22 to 24 April and a severe hailstorm on 1 May, affecting several parcels. Budburst began on 5 April and flowering took place around 12 June. Rainfall was well above average through May, June and July, before drier, sunnier August weather aided ripening. The Grands Crus were harvested from 21 to 24 September. The resulting wines show tension, concentration and refined freshness.
Tasting Note
Bright and clear in appearance, with intense golden-green glimmers. The nose is elegant and delicate, characterised by acacia, lime blossom and soft waves of citrus fruit. The palate is rich, dense and opulent, with toasty notes, candied fruit and a structured mineral core. Full-bodied yet refined, it carries freshness through its depth. The finish is long, tonic and very mineral, showing the elegance of Blanchots.
Food Pairing
Pair with scallops, langoustines, turbot, lobster, roast poultry, Comt?, asparagus risotto, seafood in light cream sauce or refined shellfish dishes.
Bottle Shots - Billaud-Simon Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots 2024
