2014 Chablis Montee de Tonnerre
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind at the Burgfest annual tasting, the 2014 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre by Samuel Billaud has a very backward and austere nose that does not have much to say. The palate has a twist of sour lemon on the entry and it is clearly more expressive here than on the nose. I would still like to see more mineralité and personality on the finish and returning after ten minutes in the glass, the nose felt reduced and I lopped off a point from my final score. This is a mercurial Chablis that needs to settle down, but a couple of years in bottle should address that.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(80% from purchased fruit and 20% domain, like the Mont de Milieu; 15% of this wine is in an old 550-liter barrel): Pale yellow with a green tinge. Lime zest, oyster shell, ginger and quinine on the nose. Vibrant and rich in the mouth, combining flavors of fresh peach, spices and pepper. Densely packed, dusty and weightless; still youthfully tight and a bit metallic and flinty. Finishes strict, linear and long, with strong salinity. Right now, this is more closed and slightly more bitter than the Séchet.
Tank sample. Light nose and without quite as much depth and tension as the Mont de Milieu. Very good but a bit more open and loose. Good persistence though. (JR)
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.