2000 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru

Following a rainy July, September was showery and cool, explained Samuel Billaud, with the result that the style of wine in 2001 is floral, fruity and elegant, but without great depth. All of the crus except for part of the Vaillons were harvested by hand in 2001, Billaud added. In 2001 for the first time, the fruit went by conveyor belt up to the press, rather than being pumped, and the debourbage was longer than usual, resulting in finer lees and cleaner juice. Even under ordinary circumstances, the settling of the juice here lasts for 15 days, at a temperature near 32oF.) I was not able to taste Billaud-Simon 2001 Blanchots or Preuses cuvees as both wines were in the middle of their secondary fermentations. The 2000s at this address offer lovely balance and noteworthy concentration. The particularly minerally cuvees such as Montee de Tonnerre, Vaudesir and Clos, really merit a solid decade of cellaring, says Billaud. In this clean, high-tech winery, most of the estate wines are made entirely in stainless steel. But three cuvees get some time in barriques the Chablis Tete d'Or (20% of which is aged in fut the Mont de Milieu Vieilles Vignes (50% cuve and 50% barriques and the Blanchots Vieilles Vignes (aged entirely in small barrels). Langdon-Shiverick, Cleveland, OH)