Domaine Billaud Simon
I cannot think of a domaine in Chablis I drink more of, with more immediate pleasure, than Billaud-Simon. Perhaps my other great loves in Chablis come close: the severely austere wines of Gilbert Picq take their sweet time to come around in bottle, and while the inimitable wines of Vincent Dauvissat have the edge in terms of intensity, my credit card aches at the thought of what are nowadays three times the price...
Billaud-Simon produces brilliantly effusive yet immensely powerful Chablis. So expressive in youth, yet with no shortage of ageworthiness; I have personally put aside a dozen 2021s to enjoy over the coming decades. What brings me so much joy from these wines is their aromatic refinement: delicate white florals and brilliant orchard fruit are always at the forefront. They never lack for typically Chablisien ozone and estuarine notes, and even in warmer vintages there is an admirably lithe and saline character to these wines, despite the domaine often picking later than everyone else in Chablis.
Billaud-Simon is a veritably old-fashioned domaine, and little has changed in the style its establishment in 1815. Even its recent acquisition by Domaine Faiveley has brought no major changes except further refinement.Most cuvees see 20-25% mostly-old oak, just enough to add a toasty warmth to the wines but not to the point that they feel overly ‘Cote d’Or’.
This is first-class Chablis in all respects, and priced-out lovers of Dauvissat or Raveneau should certainly pay more attention to these wines.
— Nick
Domaine Billaud-Simon 2022 Chablis ‘Tete d’Or’
(Shelf Price: $135.00)
Offer: $109.00
“Drawn from fruit adjacent to Montee de Tonnerre and separated from the Grand Cru strip by only a small valley, the Tete d’Or unwinds in the glass with gentle reduction and a suggestion of barrel, followed by a wealth of meyer lemon, white peach, estuarine notes, and dried white flowers. A satiny and precise palate is delineated by an incisive, electric line of acidity which brightens a core of round, fleshy stonefruit. While there is clearly no lack of overt ripeness on this wine, there is a distinctly scintillating, almost cooling quality which balances the typically right bank richness of fruit — a tension reminiscent of a great Premier Cru. This drinks well above its level.”
— Nick
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Domaine Louis Boillot
Domaine Louis Boillot is a small outfit. The cellar is based. In Chambolle-Musigny, with vineyard holdings scattered across the Cote d'Or. Like similar, small domaines with myriad plots and a classic, almost forthrightly understated style of winemaking (I'm thinking of Bruno Clair here), Louis Boillot flies beneath the radar. We are beneficiaries of this lack of interest as the wines are not subject to the stratospheric and frankly silly surge of 'hype' pricing afflicting Burgundy, especially in Australia. Now is the right time to mention that Louis Boillot is the husband of the much, and justly, lauded Ghislaine Barthod. It is an open secret that their son, Clement, now makes both wines ... with a dividing line (really) down the middle of the cellar.
These are elegant and precise wines, maybe a tad softer and with more rondeur than those chez Barthod. Minimal intervention in both vineyard and cellar; post-harvest everything is de-stemmed and subject to a cold pre-ferment maceration, simplicity exemplified. All wines see approx. 15-18 months in oak in the cool cellars. These are classic Burgundies of great pleasure.
— David
Domaine Louis Boillot 2022 Bourgogne
(Shelf Price: $119.00)
Offer: $98.00
“The 2020 Bourgogne Rouge from Louis Boillot bursts from the glass with an alluring and charmingly sensual melange of tilled earth with bright red and blue fruits. Sweet cherry and some blueberry are at the fore with dried orange peel, loam, and macerated raspberry following. The palate is fresh, round, and has a pleasingly plump quality to it without ever feeling orotund or juicily confected. There is good freshness despite the warmth of 2020 vintage. Morello cherry jam, complexifying elements of dark soil and sweet spices, and a fresh, slightly piquant finish. Ultimately very good for its level. Fine.”
— David
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If you would like any of the above, would like to come by for a private appointment, or just have some questions — please let us know.