Billaud-Simon : Chablis 1er cru "Les Vaillons" 2022

Characteristics and tasting advice for the Chablis 1er Cru "Les Vaillons" 2022 from Billaud-Simon

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a bright, clear yellow color highlighted with golden reflections.

Nose

The nose reveals remarkable aromatic complexity with dominant notes of ripe citrus and white flowers. Aromas of jasmine, apple blossom, brioche, pear tart, Honeycrisp apple, and dried lemon zest can be detected.

Palate

The attack on the palate is lively and seductive, revealing a round and generous texture. The palate expresses notes of white-fleshed fruits and citrus, supported by a beautiful minerality that brings tension and definition. The delicate acidity provides a pleasant sensation of freshness, while the finish stands out for its length and refined aromatic persistence, blending fruity and mineral notes.

Food and wine pairings

This Chablis 1er Cru "Les Vaillons" 2022 pairs perfectly with oysters and fresh seafood, creating a natural harmony with its marine terroir. It also elegantly accompanies shellfish such as moules marinières, pan-seared scallops with lemon butter, or grilled fish such as sea bass or sole. Creamy poultry dishes with mushrooms, notably chicken fricassée with morels, also make remarkable pairings. This wine also pairs very well with veal in cream sauce, fresh goat cheese, asparagus with beurre blanc sauce, or snails with garlic and parsley.

Serving and cellaring

The Chablis 1er Cru "Les Vaillons" 2022 is ideally enjoyed at a temperature between 12 and 15°C. This wine can be appreciated now for its freshness and aromatic expression, but it also has aging potential that will allow it to develop greater complexity with several years of cellaring.

A lively and elegant Chablis Premier Cru

The estate

The Billaud-Simon Estate was founded in 1815 by Charles Louis Noël Billaud upon his return from the Napoleonic wars. After nearly two centuries of family management, the estate was acquired in 2014 by Domaine Faiveley, currently led by Erwan Faiveley, who chose to preserve the distinct identity of Billaud-Simon. Today, the estate cultivates 17 hectares of vineyards concentrated within a two‑kilometer radius around Chablis, in Bourgogne. Under the direction of cellar master Olivier Bailly since 2014, the property continues a philosophy focused on purity and aging potential. The estate distinguished itself by obtaining official organic certification in 2025, marking its commitment to sustainable and environmentally respectful viticultural practices.

The vineyard

The Chablis 1er Cru "Les Vaillons" comes from a vineyard located southwest of the town of Chablis, on the right bank of the Serein river. Its name derives from the French term "vallon," referring to the small valley that characterizes this terroir. The parcels benefit from a south/southwest exposure offering optimal sunshine for the ripening of the grapes in this northern climate. The soil is composed of stony clay-limestone with colluvial deposits resting on the famous Kimmeridgian limestone subsoil. This marine sedimentary rock, 155 million years old, contains fossils of algae and shellfish that give the wine its distinctive saline minerality and characteristic iodine notes.

The vintage

The 2022 vintage is described as generous in Chablis, offering superb balance between refinement and elegance. The winter was cool, followed by February and March with above-normal temperatures. April experienced low temperatures creating a risk of frost, but the region largely escaped significant damage. Thereafter, temperatures remained consistently above normal with a dry season until harvest, creating ideal conditions for the ripening of chardonnay. This year produced particularly aromatic white wines with excellent maturity, combining citrus and ripe fruit with delicate floral fragrances, sometimes accompanied by slightly spicy notes. The palate shows tender and fleshy characteristics with a beautiful texture, pleasant roundness, and a rich aftertaste, while maintaining the acidity necessary for excellent aging potential.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for the Chablis 1er Cru "Les Vaillons" 2022 are harvested by hand according to the estate’s late-harvest philosophy, a distinctive practice that allows optimal ripeness to be achieved. The fruit intended for the Premiers Crus is hand-sorted on vibrating tables to select only exceptional berries. After pneumatic pressing, the must undergoes cold settling in stainless steel tanks before controlled fermentation. The estate favors an approach that minimizes the use of new oak in order to preserve the subtle expression of the terroir, essential to the identity of Chablis. The wines are then kept on lees until mid-December with regular bâtonnage to develop aromatic complexity.

Grape variety

100% chardonnay