Billaud-Simon : Chablis Grand cru "Les Clos" 2015

A Powerful yet Velvety Smooth Chablis Grand Cru

The Chablis Grand Cru "Les Clos" of Billaud-Simon is a single-varietal Chardonnay wine produced in the appellation of Chablis Grand Cru, the highest quality level in the Chablis appellation system. "Les Clos" is the largest and perhaps the best known Chablis "climat," located between Valmur and Blanchots. The ideal exposure of the hillside lends the wines a generous strength and structure. The name of this cuvee makes reference to the stone walls that once surrounded this parcel but which disappeared a long time ago. Here the soils are dominated by Kimmeridgian clay and chalk, lending a signature minerality to the wines. Manual harvest from this 4-hectare plot is followed by pressing in a pneumatic press. The musts undergo cold maceration for 5-7 days before they are settled and vinified. Alcoholic fermentation lasts 15-18 days in 15-hectoliter stainless steel barrels, followed by malolactic in December. The wine is aged for 14 months with some of that in French oak barrels, depending on the vintage. The wine is racked twice before bottling in late autumn.

The Chablis Grand Cru "Les Clos" by Domaine Billaud Simon shows a pale golden color in the glass. On the nose, aromas of fresh apricot, citrus, honey and ginger combine with a crushed-rock minerality. The palate of this wonderful white Burgudy is quite powerful, dense and generous with a lively acidity. The finish is very long and tactile, offering plenty of mineral and saline notes at the end. This wine is built to age and can be kept at least until 2026.

This tasting note is intended to describe the general profile of the wine. It is however necessary to take into account that this product will evolve over time and come to be different than described here.