Domaine Billaud-Simon Les Blanchots Vieille Vigne Chablis Grand Cru 2011

(100% vinified in wood; Billaud is of the belief that Blanchot is the most mineral- dominated cru in Chablis, indeed so much so that it can be a brutal and violent wine that must be 'tamed' by the wood, hence the different vinification philosophy; the Billaud vines directly abut Les Clos). Here too the wood treatment is quite subtle if not invisible as it allows the algae, lemon rind, orange peel and perfumed floral aromas to shine. The dense, powerful and very serious big-bodied flavors ooze a fine dry extract along with an almost pungent minerality before culminating in a hugely long and bone dry finish where a touch of wood resurfaces. This intensely mineral-driven effort should be one of the longer lived 2011s. Drink: 2020+. Score - 93. (Allen Meadows, burghound.com, Oct. 15, 2013)