2009 Chablis Vaudesir

The estate's 2009 Chablis Vaudésir is one of the more understated selections in this lineup. It is less minerally intense than some of the other wines, but makes up for that with its generous fruit and warm, radiant personality. This is another excellent choice for nearer term drinking, although I don't exclude the possibility that it may also age quite well given the freshness of the finish.

The estate's 2009 Chablis Vaudesir is one of the more understated selections in this lineup. It is less minerally intense than some of the other wines, but makes up for that with its generous fruit and warm, radiant personality. This is another excellent choice for nearer term drinking, although I don't exclude the possibility that it may also age quite well given the freshness of the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. 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

(the Billaud-Simon grand crus were bottled the week before my visit): Pale, bright yellow-straw with green highlights. Very closed, metallic nose hints at spearmint; quite stunted by the mise . Juicy, brisk and tight in the mouth, with strong acidity giving the wine a slightly tart edge. The lime and mint flavors are joined by a note of oyster shell on the back end. Does this currently lean grand cru lack the generosity of the vintage or is it merely affected by the recent bottling? I note that I wasn't wild for this wine last year when I tasted it from tank.