The 2010 Chablis Les Clos wafts across the palate with the most refined aromas and flavors imaginable. Anise, dried pears, roses, slate, flowers and Mirabelle plums take shape in the glass. There is an exotic quality in the aromas, along with the distinct red fruit flavors that give the Clos much of its unique, engaging personality. In 2010, the Clos is totally beguiling. Anticipated maturity: 2014+. Bernard Billaud told me he views 2011 as a classic Chablis vintage, one of the few producers who holds that view. The growing season got off to an early start, with flowering that was three weeks ahead of schedule. The harvest began on September 10, as opposed to late September/early October, which is much more common. I tasted most of the 2011s from tank and/or barrel, except the Petit Chablis and Chablis, which were bottled in May 2012. Always eloquent, Billaud describes 2010 as a ‘grand millesime.’ Vintage 2010 at the domaine was characterized by a rainy summer with little heat. On average, yields were down 25%. Billaud bottled his 2010 grand crus in May 2012. Importer: Langdon Shiverick, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (213) 483-5900

The 2010 Chablis Les Clos is an exotic wine endowed with considerable richness in its fruit and equally insistent in its pointed minerality. Mango, passion fruit and lime are some of the aromas and flavors that take shape in the glass in this rich, full-bodied Chablis. This will be a fascinating wine to follow in the coming years. The key question is; which part of the wine will dominate over time, the fruit or structure, or perhaps both? Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. (Not yet released)Billaud-Simon is now run by Bernard Billaud, following the exit of his nephew, Samuel Billaud, last year. The 2009 harvest began in late September and ran into early October, quite late by Chablis standards in this vintage. Not surprisingly, the Billaud-Simon 2009s are built on an expression of generous fruit that shows the ripeness and softness of the vintage. The 2009s were bottled beginning in September, 2010. As is quite common, the premier and grand crus saw a longer elevage, here roughly 16-18 months. The last of the grand crus were bottled in May, 2011. I also tasted most of the 2010s from tank and barrel, including several lots of the Petit Chablis and Chablis that had just been racked and were impossible to read. The estate began harvesting the 2010s on October 1st. It was a year in which maturation happened only at the very end of the season.Importer: Langdon Shiverick, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (213) 483-5900