2020 Chablis Montee de Tonnerre
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Tasting notes
Starting to show the classic bottle-aged character of Chablis: cedary lime fruit with a creaminess that suggests vanilla despite the lack of obvious oak. Then as it opens, more leafy/herbal. Delicious in its evolution but still a way to go. Just a touch spicy. Deep, crisp and even. (JH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 2020 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has a showy, almost ostentatious bouquet that is perhaps a bit unlike Chablis, though it is well-defined and seductive. It seems to gain complexity in the glass, with hints of yellow fruit and lemon sherbet emerging with time. The palate is well-balanced, with a fine thread of acidity that keeps everything in balance. This is quite a concentrated Montée de Tonnerre, lightly spiced with a very harmonious and assured finish. The 2020 has great potential. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting.
The 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre is another notable success for Samuel Billaud this year. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of white flowers, citrus oil, white currants, freshly baked bread and beeswax, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a layered mid-palate underpinned by racy acids, concluding with a long, saline finish.
About the producer
Samuel Billaud started making wine under his own name in 2009, but he is one of the most experienced producers in Chablis, having made wine in the region since 1985.