Samuel Billaud, Vaillons Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru Chablis 2020

93 points Burghound
"A ripe yet still reasonably typical nose reflects notes of lemon confit, white flowers, oyster shell and seashore nuances. The sleek, intense and delineated flavors possess good vibrancy on the notably more refined if not quite as powerful finish. I like this balanced effort plus it should age effortlessly." *Burghound Outstanding!*

93 points Vinous
"The 2020 Chablis Vaillons Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru comes from 70-year-old vines and is aged entirely in tank. It has a crushed rock and Granny Smith apple nose, nicely focused and vibrant. The palate is fresh and taut with a fine bead of acidity, and lively and tensile toward the finish, which shows real sparkle even at this early stage. There is something a little understated about this elegant Vaillons."

92 points Decanter
"A blend of roughly half Samuel's own grapes, with the balance from a long-term grower relationship. This is a lovely Vaillons with an intense floral nose, combined with light peach and apricot fruit on the palate, all kept in check by linear citrus acidity. Complex, cool on the palate and with great tension. Drinking Window 2023 - 2028."

92 points Wine Advocate
"Notes of white flowers, citrus zest, freshly baked bread, blanched almond and orange oil introduce the 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons Vieilles Vignes, a medium to full-bodied, layered and tensile wine that's racy and precise, uniting the charm of the site with the tension of maturation in stainless steel. It's bottled under Diam. Having parted ways with Domaine Billaud Simon, Samuel Billaud established his own state-of-the-art winery in central Chablis in 2009, and he has rapidly emerged as one of the town's best half-dozen producers, crafting wines characterized by textural seamlessness and unerring precision. Working with four hectares of organically farmed estate vineyards, supplemented by purchased grapes, manual harvesting of ripe but bright fruit is the rule here, followed by fermentation at 16 to 20 degrees Celsius in tank or inconspicuous wood, then maturation for 15 to 18 months on the lees for the premiers crus and grand cru bottlings. The 2020 vintage is another fine success, though readers will have a hard time choosing between the last half-dozen or so vintages at this address, so completely has Billaud realized each year's potential."