Wine Advisor
Billaud Simon, Chablis Tete d'Or 2020
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: James Suckling
I love the lemon-blossom character of this very bright Chablis, which has a lovely balance of oyster-shell character, creaminess from sur-lie maturation and racy acidity. Long, chalky finish with enough energy to give this plenty of aging potential. Drink or hold.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2020 Chablis Tête d'Or derives only domaine fruit, and unlike the regular Chablis, it is aged a little longer with 25-30% barrels, mixed used and new with some 500-litre casks. It offers orchard fruit, touches of pressed white flowers on the nose and fine presence, but it's just missing a little personality. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity, green apples with a touch of pear and a nice steely finish, albeit just missing a little length.
About the Producer
The unique terroirs of the Chablis region lend these wines their distinctive character and minerality！ Chateau Lestage Simon is one of the wineries in the Haut-Medoc appellation in Bordeaux, France. It was released in 2012 by L'Alliance des Crus Bourgeois Chuang (Cru Bourgeois) is on the list. Situated near the village of Saint Seurin de Cadourne in the Medoc, Château Simon draws on a diverse range of soils. The vines are planted on the limestone plateau by the river, an atypical area of land known as the "Petit Pomerol du Medoc". Château Simon currently has 39 hectares of vineyards covered mainly with clay-limestone and gravel. Sixty-two per cent of the vineyard is devoted to Merlot, 37 per cent to Cabernet Sauvignon and the remaining 1 per cent to Petit Verdot, all with an average vine age of 30 years. Once the grapes have reached the ideal state of ripeness, Château Simon employs workers to hand-pick them. After the grapes have been selected and broken into skins, they are fermented in fully temperature-controlled fermenters for 20 to 22 days. The wine is then matured in French oak barrels for a further 12 months before being bottled in the winery. The wines from Château Simon are generally smooth, full-bodied, rich and balanced, with good cellaring potential.
