Samuel Billaud Chablis 1er Cru 'Sechet' 2020

94 pointsDecanter

'One of the special Samuel Billaud cuvées, the old vines really adding lots of extra density and concentration. Green apple on the palate, with a touch of red berry fruit as well. Powerful and complex, with great purity and a fine, mineral aftertaste. Will age very well. (AH)'

94 pointsWine Advocate

'Always one of the highlights in Billaud's range, the 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Séchet Vieilles Vignes has once again turned out brilliantly. Exhibiting aromas of crisp orchard fruit, white currants, citrus zest, pastry cream and freshly baked bread, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and chiseled, with an ample core of fruit, racy acids and a long, saline finish. It's worth a special effort to seek out. Having parted ways with Domaine Billaud Simon, Samuel Billaud established his own state-of-the-art winery in central Chablis in 2009, and he has rapidly emerged as one of the town's best half-dozen producers, crafting wines characterized by textural seamlessness and unerring precision. Working with four hectares of organically farmed estate vineyards, supplemented by purchased grapes, manual harvesting of ripe but bright fruit is the rule here, followed by fermentation at 16 to 20 degrees Celsius in tank or inconspicuous wood, then maturation for 15 to 18 months on the lees for the premiers crus and grand cru bottlings. The 2020 vintage is another fine success, though readers will have a hard time choosing between the last half-dozen or so vintages at this address, so completely has Billaud realized each year's potential. (WK)'

92-94 pointsVinous

'The 2020 Chablis Les Séchets 1er Cru comes from vines that were planted by Billaud’s grandmother and are now 80 years old. It is matured entirely in tank and presents a crisp, slightly chalky bouquet, more reserved than other cuvées. The palate is poised and vibrant, with a crisp line of acidity. The fresh, tensile, white-peach- and pear-driven finish leaves bitter lemon on the aftertaste. Beautiful. (NM)'

Allen Meadows, Burghound: 91-94/100

Part of an esteemed Chablis family, Samuel Billaud struck out on his own in 2009 to found his eponymous domaine. He had previously been the winemaker at Domaine Billaud-Simon, which had been a shining light in the old school Chablis clubhouse of quality. Since the creation of his own label, Samuel has met with great success and moved into a new winery space in 2015 as well as purchasing four hectares of vines that had previously belonged to Domaine Billaud-Simon. The new winery lies in the heart of Chablis and used to belong to Stéphane Moreau-Naudet. It is set up so that Billaud only needs to pump his wines once, then gravity does the rest. The rest of the facilities consist of brand new stainless steel tanks and underground storage for barrels. The recently purchased hectarage includes land in the grand crus Les Clos, Vaudésir, Montée de Tonnerre, Mont de Milieu, Séchet, and in the village level vineyards Les Pargues and Chapelot, as well as a Petit Chablis parcel directly to the north of Les Clos. He is also sourcing fruit from the grand crus Blanchots, Valmur, and Bougros. Due to his deep roots in Chablis, Samuel is able to purchase grapes from some of the finest, most well-established growers. In the cellar, the premier and grand cru wines see about 15% new wood in the form of large 450 and 600 L barrels, which offsets any overt “oakiness.” The rest is fermented in small stainless steel tank. The resulting range, from AC to Grand Cru, are layered wines rife with crunchy oyster shell and silex, and exhibit a range of flavor profiles from licorice to white peach to toasty baguette. This is top quality Chablis from a rising star producer – for white Burgundy lovers, these are not to be missed.