2013 Chablis Vaudésir Grand Cru

The biggest story in the sleepy town of Chablis in the past year was the purchase of this estate last summer by François Faiveley, who quickly installed Olivier Bailly as régisseur under the direction of Faiveley family advisor Bernard Hervet and technical director Jérôme Flous, who also serves as technical director at Faiveley's base in Nuits-Saint-Georges. The transaction finally resolved a long-running family squabble as a result of which Bernard Billaud's nephew Samuel Billaud, who had previously made the wines at Billaud-Simon, was forced out of the family domain and set up his own négociant operation. Samuel has retained some of his family estate’s original vineyards as part of the payment for his share of the domain.

The first crop of wines made by the new regime at Billaud-Simon looks extremely promising, due in in large part to the fact that Faiveley harvested the fruit earlier--with better nerve and natural acidity--than would have been the case here under Bernard Billaud. Acidity levels are in the very healthy 4.8 grams per liter range. The new team bottled the 2013s but did not vinify them. I've been a long-time fan of this estate previously, but quality will no doubt be more consistent under the Faiveley ownership.