2023 Samuel Billaud - Chablis Preuses (750ml) (PRE ARRIVAL)

Samuel Billaud comes from a long line of Chablis winemakers and spent two decades working at the family estate, Domaine Billaud-Simon, before setting out on his own in 2010. He kept a small but exceptional core of grand cru and premier cru holdings, and has quickly become known as one of the region's most precise and sought-after producers, particularly for his grand cru bottlings.

Les Preuses comes from a single plot of vines over sixty years old, cropped at low yields to concentrate the fruit. The wine spends about eighteen months in barrel, aged in older, third- and fourth-fill casks that let it breathe without picking up heavy oak character. This extended, careful élevage is meant to sculpt the texture while keeping the site's natural mineral thumbprint intact.

The wine bursts with marine-inflected aromas of oyster juice, wet stones, lemon peel, nectarine and white flowers. The palate is medium to full bodied, incisive and vibrant, with a layered core driven by racy acidity and a long, lemon-scented finish. There is real energy here, tempered by a fine, well-integrated patina from the wood. Serve it with fresh crab, lobster, or a rich fish stew.