Louis Billard

The Story of Louis Billard

The story of Louis Billard is rooted in the continuity of a winemaking lineage deeply attached to the Burgundian terroir. Louis grew up in the cellars of Domaine Billard Père et Fils, a family estate founded in 1930 in La Rochepot, in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, today run by his father Jérôme Billard. It is there, among the barrels and the vines of Pommard, Auxey-Duresses, Saint-Romain, Saint-Aubin and Beaune, that he developed an intimate and convivial vision of wine, seen less as a collector's object than as an essential companion to shared moments.

Driven by personal ambition, Louis continued his apprenticeship beyond the family estate. He notably spent two decisive years at the prestigious Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, an experience he describes as a "great source of inspiration and motivation". Building on this heritage and elite training, he launched his own project in 2022 under the Louis Billard label, presenting from his very first vintage an impressive array of cuvées from the finest villages of the Côte d'Or, immediately noticed by international critics and compared to the most inspiring signatures in contemporary Burgundy.

Terroirs and Vines of Louis Billard

Louis Billard works across a particularly wide range of Burgundian terroirs, covering both the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits, with a clear guiding principle: selecting the most expressive and most authentic climats. His family base in La Rochepot, in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, remains his geographical anchor, but his cuvées also extend to Saint-Romain, Saint-Aubin, Meursault, Chassagne-Montrachet, Pommard, Volnay, Beaune, Chambolle-Musigny, Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée. The range even includes an exceptional Grand Cru, the Bâtard-Montrachet.

The soils, blending Jurassic limestone, clayey marl and silt depending on the village, give each plot a unique signature: mineral tension and finesse in Chassagne and Saint-Aubin for the whites, fleshy and tannic depth in Pommard, airy elegance in Chambolle-Musigny, spiced depth in Gevrey-Chambertin. The grape varieties are the two pillars of Burgundy — Pinot Noir for the reds and Chardonnay for the whites. The harvests are entirely manual, carried out early in the morning and transported quickly to the cellar in small crates, then stored in a cold room overnight to preserve the purity of the fruit.

Vinifications by Louis Billard

In the cellar, Louis Billard's approach combines respect for Burgundian traditions with contemporary precision. For the whites, pressing is carried out in whole bunches, slowly and progressively over approximately three hours, with a maximum pressure of 1.8 bar. Louis regularly tastes the juices to adjust pressure and duration. The musts are left to oxidise after pressing, with no addition of sulphur, followed by cold settling overnight. Both alcoholic and malolactic fermentations are conducted with indigenous yeasts, in oak barrels, followed by a long ageing on fine lees.

For the reds, the philosophy is equally demanding: a few days of cold pre-fermentation maceration, alcoholic fermentation conducted naturally with indigenous yeasts (approximately 15 days), with a few gentle pump-overs at the start of the vatting to moisten the cap. Ageing then takes place in 228-litre oak barrels for 14 months (with approximately 30% new barrels), followed by two months in stainless-steel tanks. The final filtration is very gentle (lenticular filter), and sulphur additions are deliberately very moderate — after alcoholic fermentation and then at bottling (approximately 20 mg/l of free SO2) — to deliver pure, expressive wines that are faithful to their terroir.

The Cuvées of Louis Billard

The Saint-Romain Blanc offers a superb entry point into the white range, with a fresh, sculpted Chardonnay marked by brilliant minerality and notes of citrus and white flowers. A perfectly balanced cuvée to enjoy in its youth or to cellar for a few years.

The Saint-Aubin Premier Cru Les Castets expresses all the aromatic finesse of this climat, a stone's throw from Montrachet. A taut, saline Chardonnay, marked by ripe yellow fruits, white flowers and a chalky signature — this is an exceptional Premier Cru with remarkable value for money.

The Meursault embodies all the roundness and aromatic generosity of this mythical appellation. Buttery notes, hazelnut, ripe white fruits, an ample and deep finish — this Meursault by Louis Billard combines richness and freshness in an elegant balance.

The white Chassagne-Montrachet reveals the quintessence of Côte de Beaune Chardonnay. A taut palate, marked by flint, candied citrus and white flowers, underpinned by a straight acidity and a long, saline finish.

The Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is the absolute pinnacle of the white range. Sourced from one of Burgundy's most prestigious Grand Crus, this magnificent Chardonnay offers a dense, vinous, deep character, marked by honey, roasted hazelnut, white flowers and a powerful mineral framework, destined for a very long cellaring.

The Bourgogne Pinot Noir and the other entry-level red cuvées offer a pleasurable introduction to the world of Louis Billard, with pure fruit, a fine structure and remarkable drinkability.

The Pommard Les Noizons is one of the emblematic cuvées of the Côte de Beaune. A deep colour, a nose of black cherry, plum and spices, a fleshy, structured yet silky palate: a Pommard of great purity, with strong ageing potential.

The Pommard Premier Cru Les Fremiers is a superb expression of Pommard, from a climat located on the border of the Premiers Crus Fremiets of Volnay. Careful vinification (5 days of cold maceration, 15 days of fermentation, 14 months of ageing in barrels, 30% of which are new) yields a deep, fleshy, elegant wine, suited equally to the table and the cellar.

The Volnay Premier Cru embodies the airy, feminine elegance characteristic of Volnay. Silky tannins, vibrant strawberry and raspberry fruit, a floral and silky finish — this is a refined and delicate cuvée.

The Chambolle-Musigny reveals all the aromatic lace of this mythical appellation on the Côte de Nuits. A floral and silky Pinot Noir with a fine structure, the purest expression of fresh red fruit and rose notes — a perfect signature of the climat.

The Gevrey-Chambertin village wine offers the classic depth of Gevrey, with a fleshy Pinot Noir marked by black cherry, spices and fine notes of undergrowth, underpinned by an elegant tannic framework.

The Gevrey-Chambertin Regnard, an identified lieu-dit, offers a more precise reading of the Gevrey terroir, with a dense character, a clear aromatic expression and a spiced finish — the signature of this climat.

The Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Petite Chapelle is one of the great Premiers Crus of the appellation, located on the northern slope of the village. Precise vinification yields a deep, structured wine with a mineral framework and remarkable ageing potential. A accomplished and thoroughbred signature.

The Vosne-Romanée crowns the red range with all the magic of Burgundy's most mythical village. Bewitching notes of dark fruit, gentle spices, rose and truffle, a silky, deep palate with a long and complex finish: an inspired expression of an exceptional terroir.