The Essence of Chablis
Billaud-Simon is a benchmark estate in Chablis, founded in 1815 and now owned by the Faiveley family. Known for their crystalline, mineral-driven style and fanatical vineyard management, this domaine captures the essence of Chablis in every bottling. But in 2022, their village-level Chablis is simply on another level.
Sourced entirely from estate fruit grown on classic Kimmeridgian limestone soils, the wine sees only stainless steel and native yeasts—no oak, no interference. What you get is a Chablis that’s incredibly precise, saline, and vibrant, with aromas of crushed stone, lemon pith, and just-ripe green apple. The palate is sleek, energized, and mouthwatering, finishing with a bracing, chalky snap.
It’s a bottle that proves complexity doesn’t have to come from aging or classification. It can come from clarity. Purity. Confidence. This is the kind of wine that reminds you what Chablis can be: no frills, just cold rock and bright fruit working in perfect harmony.
Here’s what I really like about this wine. I would probably drink this over Billaud-Simon’s Grand Crus because it is just such a perfect, pure and unadulterated example of what is such a near-to-perfect vintage that is 2022. I have yet to find a white wine in Burgundy in 2022 that has not blown me away, from Chablis to Macon, but the tension, purity, and minerality here, with no oak whatsoever, really showcases the fruit and the terroir of Chablis. Drink up, enjoy, and keep another chilled.
91 Points, Wine Spectator:
Clean and briny, this white exhibits oyster shell, peach, apple and lemon aromas and flavors. Balanced and persistent, leaving a long, detailed aftertaste. Drink now through 2028.
NET Price: $44.98