A classical Chablis from the mountain in the middle
Billaud’s wines are bright, nervy expressions of Chablis, combining crystalline purity with plenty of concentration and length. This is a strong portfolio that will appeal to Chablis purists, and the address belongs on any list of the region’s best.
Kristaps Karklins, robertparker.com, January 2026
2023 Chablis 1er Cru, Mont de Milieu, Samuel Billaud
£275 per 6 bottle case in bond
There was a time when finding a classically styled Chablis was straightforward. Today, it is anything but. A succession of warmer growing seasons has altered the profile of many wines from the region, with greater fruit ripeness, softer acidity and fuller textures becoming increasingly common. Vintage variation in Chablis has arguably never been more significant. Frost, hail, heat spikes, mildew pressure and increasingly erratic weather patterns mean that growers are now navigating a far more complex set of challenges than they were a generation ago.
The 2023 vintage was far from simple. A mild winter encouraged an early start to the season, bringing the ever-present risk of spring frost, while a warm, humid summer increased disease pressure. Yields were relatively generous compared to some of the preceding frost-affected years, yet maintaining freshness and precision required careful vineyard management and exacting picking decisions. In the wrong hands, 2023 could easily have tipped towards a broader, softer style.
Samuel Billaud has produced precisely the opposite.
Mont de Milieu occupies one of Chablis' most prized right-bank slopes, a vineyard whose reputation rests on its ability to combine power with definition. Situated on a steep, south-east-facing hillside opposite the Grand Crus, it enjoys excellent sun exposure while retaining the mineral backbone derived from its Kimmeridgian limestone soils. Historically, the site sat on the frontier between Burgundy and Champagne, lending its name, "the mountain in the middle". The best parcels yield wines with striking intensity yet unmistakably Chablisien restraint.
Billaud's holding consists of three plots at the Chablis end of the vineyard, two of which are planted with notably old vines. These mature plantings naturally regulate yields and deliver fruit of greater concentration and complexity. Even in the relatively abundant 2023 vintage, yields here reached only 45 hl/ha, contributing to the wine's remarkable definition and focus.
Samuel Billaud himself requires little introduction. For nearly two decades he was the driving force behind the wines of Domaine Billaud-Simon, one of Chablis' historic names. When the family estate was sold to Faiveley, Samuel retained a portion of the family's finest vineyard holdings and established his own domaine. While Billaud-Simon remains an important benchmark under Faiveley's ownership, Samuel's eponymous estate has quickly become one of the most admired addresses in Chablis for those who prize precision, tension and terroir expression. His wines are defined by meticulous vineyard work, restrained élevage and an unwavering commitment to preserving freshness and minerality.
The result is a Mont de Milieu that ticks every box stylistically. Chiselled, racy and saline, it delivers the sort of mineral crunch and crystalline energy that many wine lovers increasingly search for in modern Chablis. There is ample fruit here, as Jasper Morris notes, but it is fruit framed by structure rather than softness. The old vines, modest yields and privileged exposure seem to have combined to preserve a level of tension that sets this wine apart.
In an era where many Chablis wines have gained weight and lost definition, Samuel Billaud continues to produce wines that speak clearly of limestone, tension and place.
2023 Chablis 1er Cru, Mont de Milieu, Samuel BIllaud
£275 per 6 bottle case in bond
91-94 points, Jasper Morris MW, insideburgundy.com, June 2024
Their own three plots at the Chablis end of the vineyard, with old vines in two of the plots. The yield was only 45 hl/ha here even in 2023. Pale lemon colour. A very stylish complete nose, with its extra touches of white fruit and flesh. Excellent salinity behind, a real mineral crunch. Drink from 2027-2032
92 points, Kristaps Karklins, robertparker.com, January 2026
The 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu is a tensile, incisive wine that opens in the glass with notes of orange peel, beeswax and gooseberry mingled with oyster juice. Medium- to full-bodied, it is taut and precise, with a tightly coiled core and a mouthwatering, saline-tinged finish. Drink 2027-2042
For those, like me, who look to Chablis for clarity, precision and that unmistakable limestone-driven edge, this 2023 is a breath of fresh air. Against a backdrop of ever-rounder, more generous interpretations of the appellation, Samuel Billaud has delivered a wine that remains resolutely faithful to the classical ideal – it isn’t difficult to see why his wines are praised so much.
Quite simply, this example captures that essence that renders great Chablis so compelling.
Simon
simon.larkin@atlasfinewines.com