2024 Domaine Samuel Billaud Chablis Grand Cru "Bougros"

From two plots near Les Preuses, Samuel Billaud’s 2024 Chablis Grand Cru Les Bougros—matured for a year in equal parts tank and barrels, followed by six months in tank—opens in the glass with aromas of pear, apricot and orange oil mingling with vanilla pod and beeswax. On the palate, it’s ample and textural and unsurprisingly less demonstrative than the 2023 rendition. It is laden with vibrant acidity and delivers a more classical profile from a site that can sometimes produce rather rich wines. Samuel Billaud established his own state-of-the-art winery in the center of Chablis in 2009, and he has since emerged as one of the village’s leading producers, crafting wines that unite texture and precision. Working with four hectares of organically farmed estate vineyards, supplemented by purchased grapes—for which Billaud determines the harvest date, and his team usually picks the fruit—harvesting of ripe yet vibrant grapes is the rule here.(KK)