Domaine Billaud-Simon - Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu 2018

With aromas of crisp green apple, pear, spring flowers, and damp stones, the 2018 Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu is medium-bodied, delicately textured, and crisp, with lively acidity and a chalky finish. It is showing well.

 

Dominated by notes of chlorophyll and flowers in Mont de Milieu, whose intensity is perfectly balanced, with small, sharp bitter notes on the finish.

This family-owned estate, established in Chablis since 1815, changed hands in 2014, becoming part of the Faiveley estate. This expanded Faiveley’s portfolio—which already included 20 hectares of Chablis’s finest terroirs—with four grands crus: Les Clos, Les Preuses, Vaudésir, and Les Blanchots; four premiers crus: Montée de Tonnerre, Mont-de-Milieu, Fourchaume, and Vaillons; as well as Chablis and Petit Chablis wines. Olivier Bailly was appointed estate manager in 2014 and quickly refined the winemaking process. Beginning in 2016, a return to top quality became evident, and this estate is now one of the most reliable in Chablis.

This wine’s subtle nose reveals notes of lemon, hay, and chalk. These notes carry through to the palate, where they intertwine in beautiful harmony. The emphasis is on richness, marked by a crisp, chalky mid-palate and a zesty citrus brightness, despite the hot conditions of this vintage. It is a stony, elegant wine with beautiful depth.