Domaine Billaud-Simon is a treasure of Chablis, Burgundy. The estate covers nearly 17 hectares of prestigious vineyards such as Les Clos, Vaudésir, Les Blanchots, Montée de Tonnerre, Fourchaume and Mont de Milieu. The domaine’s cherry on the cake is a special cuvée - Tête d’Or . The viticulture of the domaine is close to organic, hasn’t been certified yet.

The current winemaker is Olivier Bailly. His wines are vigorous, energetic, fresh, and at the same time, they are all about delicacy and crystalline purity.

Top wines of Domaine Billaud-Simon are Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos, Chablis Grand Cru Perreuses and Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir. The Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2010 scored 96, Chablis Grand Cru Perreuses 2010 scored 95, Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir 2014 scored 94 by the Wine Advocate.

Robert Parker’s tasting notes on the Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2010: “The 2010 Chablis Les Clos wafts across the palate with the most refined aromas and flavors imaginable. Anise, dried pears, roses, slate, flowers and Mirabelle plums take shape in the glass. There is an exotic quality in the aromas, along with the distinct red fruit flavors that give the Clos much of its unique, engaging personality. In 2010, the Clos is totally beguiling. Anticipated maturity: 2014+.”

Domaine Billaud-Simone is one of the companies owned by Joseph Faiveley. Since 2014 the domaine has been managed by Olivier Bailly as winemaker in charge and Jérôme Flous as technical director.

The roots of Domaine Billaud-Simon go back to 1815 when it was founded by Charles-Louis-Noël Billaud. The vineyards’ holdings were extended with the marriage of his great-grandson, Jean Billaud, to Renée Simon. That’s how the new name of the domaine, Billaud-Simon, came into being.

Samuel Billaud, the son of Jean Billaud, was at the helm of the domaine till, in 2014, it was sold to Joseph Faiveley. Some vineyards of Domaine Billaud-Simon were passed on to Samuel Billaud, who has set up his own winemaking business.

The viticulture of Domaine Billaud-Simon is close to organic, hasn’t been certified yet. In order to reveal the uniqueness of terroirs, the vineyards are cultivated with passion, tradition and great respect.

The vines are pruned by the Chablis method; in addition, disbudding is carried out. The soils are regularly tilled.

Harvesting is conveyed by hand; grapes are carefully picked and collected in small containers. In the cellar, they are sorted manually or on a sorting table, gently pressed and fermented. The duration of the maturation process depends on the vintage, its characteristics and the terroir. Olivier Bailly carefully chooses the barrels for ageing - only those that suit specifically the Chablis wines. The percentage of new wood has decreased.