2024 Chablis Montee de Tonnerre
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Tasting notes
There is a pronounced, flinty intensity to the nose of Samuel Billaud’s Montée de Tonnerre in 2024, with a twist of lemon freshness. It’s pure and tight on the palate, with a sweet edge to the core of fruit – lemon-curd-like in its richness. A chalky texture and pear freshness combine with the bright acidity to make for a deliciously pure and vibrant wine.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin, Vinous
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Tank sample. Very similar to Mont de Milieu but just seems to have an extra top gear of precision and finesse. But I’d happily drink both! Marries the power and concentration of a top Chablis site with the warmth of the sun in the later parts of the growing season. Finishes with a stony edge but never rasping. Great example of this premier cru. (AWH)
The 2024 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre, as ever, is sourced from Chapelot—lending tension—and from Montée de Tonnerre proper, which brings amplitude and fleshy musculature. It is aged 80% in tank and 20% in wood. The wine soars from the glass with a deep bouquet of pear, apricot beeswax and peach. Medium- to full-bodied, it is textural and demonstrative yet simultaneously vibrant and incisive as one would expect from a cool season like this, underpinned by racy acidity and concluding with a long, persistent finish.
A more elegant and more floral-infused nose speaks of mineral reduction, iodine, quinine and an array of citrus nuances. Once again, the mouthfeel of the middle weight flavors is super-sleek with excellent delineation that carries over to the almost painfully intense, chiseled, stony and strikingly long finish. This is pretty much textbook MdT so if you can find it, buy it. Sweet spot. Drink 2034+
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.