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)

Aromas of ripe quince, apricot and soft white flowers, the richness on the palate is balanced by a pleasant note of bitterness and enough acidity to keep everything in line, although the wine does not have the exotic ripeness of those from the steeper slopes of the Côte de Bouguerots. The grapes are fermented half in tank and half in double-size 456-litre barrels, including some from local cooper Florent Tschieret.(CC)