Billaud-Simon is one of the great domaines of Chablis which dates from 1815 following the Napoleonic wars. Today, it is run by Bernard Billaud-Simon and his nephew Samuel. They have 20 hectares of exceptional vineyard sites with a combination of great vineyard sites, the latest winemaking technology and 95 years of family know-how crafting some of the regions finest wines. It has always been my contention that in France, the entry level wines in the great years are very much worth seeking out in the great years and avoiding at all costs in the poorer ones.

It is almost selling the Billaud-Simon Chablis 2009 short by recommending it as a great introduction to Chablis as even the seasoned Chardonnay drinker will lap this up. It is vinified and aged in stainless steel in order to express unique terroir and purity; the goal is to produce a wine which shows minerality and raciness as well as immense freshness even in the richest of vintages such as 2009. This is an absolute mission accomplished and it is not hard to see why this excited the first lady of wine Jancis Robison MW: “Scented, rather ethereal nose. Dry and racy with a really delicate texture that gets the saliva flowing. Some sucky-stony character. Bravo!”