2019 Chablis, Séchet, Vieilles Vignes, 1er Cru, Samuel Billaud, Burgundy

2019 Chablis, Séchet, Vieilles Vignes, 1er Cru, Samuel Billaud, Burgundy

Product: 20198025537
 
2019 Chablis, Séchet, Vieilles Vignes, 1er Cru, Samuel Billaud, Burgundy

Buying options

Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
You can place a bid for this wine on BBX

Description

Vines here are over 70 years old; their deep root systems helped mitigate the effects of the dry vintage conditions. Raised exclusively in stainless steel, this really demonstrates the austerity of Chablis. There’s a little more generosity than usual, and an almost silken texture to the mid-palate, but it retains its intensely mineral character. Drink 2023-2030. 

wine at a glance

Delivery and quality guarantee

Critics reviews

Jasper Morris MW92-95/100
From 70 to 80 year old vines, made without oak. Very pale lemon colour. This is strict pure white fruit with the lightest of lemon tints alongside the stone dust effect. Samuel’s Séchet Vieilles Vignes has a very dry finish, which is as it should be. The second vineyard to be picked, this is brilliant in its classic dry style.
Jasper Morris MW Read more
Burghound89-92/100
This too is aromatically quite cool with its equally restrained aromas of oyster shell, floral, lemon rind and spiced tea. The generously proportioned medium-bodied flavors possess both a beguiling succulence and good minerality, all wrapped in a bitter lemon-inflected finale. This delicious effort is a 2019 that is likely to drink well on the earlier side, yet it should also be capable of reward 4 to 7 years of cellaring. 2024+
Allen Meadows, Burghound, (December 2020) Read more
Jancis Robinson MW17/20
Domaine vines. Planted c 80 years ago and spelt Séchet on the label, as preferred by Billaud's grandfather. Cask sample. Pure, stony citrus. Real intensity here, both fruit and acid/lees structure. Deep and long and perfectly balanced for long ageing. Mouth-watering finish.
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinsoncom, (October 2020)
Read more

About this WINE

Samuel Billaud

Samuel Billaud

The brilliantly talented Samuel Billaud was finding family politics hard going, so he has now founded his own wine label in Chablis separate from Domaine Billaud-Simon.

As far as we are concerned, the talent lies in the person and not the history, so we are delighted to have taken a small position with Samuel’s own wines. He does not own the vineyards but he does manage them, as well as crushing the grapes and vinifying the wines. We can certainly recognise his style in these offerings.

Find out more
Chablis

Chablis

Chablis lies further north than the rest of Burgundy, located about halfway between Beaune and Paris; it’s actually not all that far from Champagne. The wines here – exclusively whites from Chardonnay – differ in style from other white Burgundies: they tend towards steeliness and flintiness.

The Chablis region is an island of vines lying amid the forests and pastures of the Yonne département. In the heart of Chablis, the soils are marl (clay-limestone) of a particular kind – Kimmeridgian – containing traces of marine fossils. For many, the classic aroma and flavour profile of Chablis is built around seashell and an iodine, marine character imparted by the soil.

As elsewhere in Burgundy, there’s a hierarchy in Chablis. Grand Cru represents the top tier, although it accounts for just one per cent of overall Chablis production. The Grand Cru vineyards rise above the eponymous town in an impressive sweep, sloping south. These are sunny sites, ranging in elevation from 100 to 250 metres above sea level. The wines are deep and powerful, benefitting hugely from bottle age after release. The best examples can age for up to 20 years. Over time, their colour evolves from greenish gold to a light yellow, and they develop real aromatic complexity.

Unlike the other tiers, it’s not uncommon for Grand Cru Chablis to see new oak. As a result, its flavour profile is perhaps more comparable to the Côte d’Or than the rest of Chablis. For something more classically “Chablis”, there’s the Premiers Crus. Style and quality can vary, depending on the climat and the producer. Whether floral or more mineral, the best examples are seriously impressive and represent the hallmark style of the region – they can also offer real value for money. These are structured wines with the capacity to age for 10 to 15 years.

The next tier – accounting for most of the region’s output – is labelled simply as “Chablis”. These are steely, clean and lean whites with aromas of green apples and lemon, intended for early drinking. As ever in Burgundy, there are exceptions: well-made examples by top growers from vineyards abutting the Premiers Crus can be age-worthy.

Finally, there’s Petit Chablis: everyday wines, generally from vineyards planted on higher slopes. Petit Chablis accounts for around one-fifth of all Chablis produced. These wines typically come from Portlandian limestone, known to produce a fruitier, simpler wine than Chablis.

Find out more
Chardonnay

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.

Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.

It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.

Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.

Find out more