ブルゴーニュ2024 – Bi–Bz 作業中

Above Les Clos – which from this vintage is indicated on the label. 100% stainless steel. Vat sample.
Expressive, pure, direct citrus aroma, both lemon and grapefruit, plus a lovely overlay of stone dust, and almost floral. Masses of tension and a fine grip, high acidity is balanced by that firm texture and terrific length. More and more aromatic with air. Much lower yields than in 2023, which was up at the legal maximum. (JH)

Charles Taylor MW says this must be the finest Petit Chablis made. The location of the vines, above Les Clos, is from this vintage indicated in the wine’s name.
He may well be right. Has all the power and concentration of the best AOP Chablis wines. Concentration, purity, loads of texture and finesse. Complete and hard to fault in the Petit Chablis context. Amazingly, only 12% alcohol. (AWH)

Two plots just below Montée de Tonerre and Les Pargues near Vaillons. 100% stainless steel. Tank sample but ready for bottling.
Open like the Petit Chablis, with a similar fruit profile but a little deeper and firmer. Tight, linear but not lean. A little creamier than the Petit Chablis, both in aroma and flavour, less stony-mineral, more rounded on the long finish. Moves from crisp to creamy in a smooth transition. Impressive concentration and length. (JH)

Very close to the Petit Chablis, this seems to have a tad less power and fleshiness, but a more prominent line of acidity and minerality. Both are great examples and I’d be delighted to drink either. Ripe lemon fruit a bit more to the fore than with the slightly more tropical Petit Chablis. Classic style. Great purity. (AWH)

Full of flavour and pretty rich on the palate. Already delivers and is quite concentrated for the relatively lowly appellation. (JR)

40% barrel and 60% stainless steel. One of the earliest picked, south-facing, hence the name (fourneau means ‘stove’). Vat sample.
Quite different from the Butteaux, less fruity aromatically, a touch of blossom but mostly tense citrus. Engaging in its delicacy with crushed stones more in evidence. Acidity is more noticeable here but there’s still a creamy roundness on the long finish with a slight and attractive grip in the texture. Elegant, chalkily dry finish. Needs time. (JH)

Vinified in a combination of steel and 500-litre casks. Tank sample.
Warm and generous on the palate – will certainly appeal to those looking for a Chablis with a bit more ripeness and less harsh edges. Finishes with an intriguing, appetising lick of minerality. Should age gracefully and well. (AWH)

Tank sample. Masses of acidity but vibrant fruit underneath. Long. (JR)

Small production (three demi-muids) hence 100% 3- to 5-year-old barrels, 456 litres and 500 litres. Vat sample.
Less stony/mineral than the Montmains, and even more peachy. Smells of creamy ripe citrus and stone fruit, really aromatic and full of fruit. On the palate, full in the mouth, nothing lean about this and only a touch stony on the finish. Generous and approachable but kept in check by the acidity. Long finish. (JH)

Bought-in grapes. Badly hailed, which is why this year he had to use barrels – no tanks small enough. 100% 5-year-old barrels, 456 litres and 500 litres. Vat sample.
Bright, herbal citrus as well as crushed stones with a light note of blossom. Intense and pure citrus but also a little bit peachy. Mouth-watering core of fruit enveloped in a rounded creaminess that balances the high acidity. Intense and mouth-watering, again with impressive, high-tension length. (JH)

Own vines. 80% stainless steel, 20% in barrels of 3–5 years, 456 litres and 500 litres. Vat sample.
Slightly honeyed with a touch of apricot, as if there might be a touch of botrytis. Even if not, certainly this is ripe and aromatic. A hint of pears. The core on the palate is stony citrus but it’s clothed in a riper fruit layer yet balanced by the acidity. And still retains the classic Chablis stony-mineral quality. Long finish with a light grip. (JH)

80% steel, 20% wood in the vinification. Tank sample.
Fine combination of warm, ripe fruit together with a leaner, mineral structure underneath. Loads of promise for the future. Pebbly edge to finish. Love the combination of purity, drive and typicality. (AWH)

Own vineyards. Mainly stainless steel, one wineglobe, 20% in barrels of 3–5 years, 456 litres and 500 litres. Total 5,000 litres. Vat sample.
More herby citrus than the ripeness of the Mont de Milieux and yet still charmingly aromatic and gently creamy. Firm texture, with some grip on the finish, beautifully balanced, deep and long. Intense and elegant at the same time. (JH)

Tank sample. Very similar to Mont de Milieu but just seems to have an extra top gear of precision and finesse. But I’d happily drink both! Marries the power and concentration of a top Chablis site with the warmth of the sun in the later parts of the growing season. Finishes with a stony edge but never rasping. Great example of this premier cru. (AWH)

Vines at least 60 years and mostly own vines (original Billaud-Simon plots). 100% stainless steel. Vat sample.
Intensely pure and relatively ripe citrus. Powerful, pure citrus with more obvious grip in the texture. Impressive concentration and density balanced by high acidity. Very youthful and tastes as if it is not ready to show itself, needing more time to mesh the fruit and acidity because both are intense. Real power here and terrific persistence. (JH)

Part of Vaillons. Vines 80 years old. All own vines on 161-49 rootstock. 50% wineglobes (two), which are new this year and give a lot of lees contact because they are small, ie barrel sized; 50% in barrels of 3–5 years, two x 500 litres. Yield was less than 20 hl/ha because of hail on 1 May, which affected volume rather than quality. This wine is usually 100% stainless steel but the volumes were too small this year. Vat sample.
Fragrant with stony citrus. Dusty, fragrant and utterly pure. Intense, palate-grabbing, masses of tension and yet balance between minerality, pure fruit and acidity. Direct and powerful and very long. Refined and mouth-watering. (JH)

100% in 2-year-old barrels, 456 litres and 500 litres. Vat sample.
Smells ripe and has a hint of apricot and incipient honey. A touch of oak but more in creaminess than spice and a light note of vanilla. There’s also a herbal freshness here – pretty complex for such a young wine. Concentrated and long, with excellent balance between ripeness of fruit and acidity. Terrific length. (JH)

Samuel Billaud picks this before the domaine which owns the vines picks fruit for their own wine. 75% stainless steel, 25% in 2-year-old barrels, 456 litres and 500 litres. Vat sample.
More obviously oaky on the nose than any of the Samuel Billaud’s tasted so far in this line-up, mealy and spicy, but not too much. Oatmeal creaminess. Rich, smooth and rounded, citrus and apricot. So much bigger than the premiers crus yet still beautifully fresh. (JH)

25% aged in oak. Tank/cask sample.
Weighty on the palate, this seems to show the wood a lot more at the moment. Plenty of density and fleshiness here. Lacks a little precision at the moment but once in bottle this will tighten up and drink beautifully for many years. (AWH)

Tank/cask sample. Generous and full and fleshy in the mouth. Ripe stone-fruit flavours balanced by crisp acidity. Certainly needs another couple of years to settle down – there is lots of potential given time. Has an edge of sourness on the finish which will be cleaned up once in bottle. Will be a classic grand cru. (AWH)

100% in 2-year-old barrels, 456 litres and 500 litres. Vat sample.
Oak less noticeable than on the Bougros. Much creamier and less spicy. Gentle, already complex, high-acid purity. Impressive intensity and length. Deep, grippy and creamy at the same time. Powerful, persistent and set for a long life. (JH)