Tasted with Thierry Pillot in Chassagne-Montrachet, 16 October 2017.
Domaine Paul Pillot
3 Clos Saint-Jean
21190 Chassagne-Montrachet
Tel: +33 3 80 21 31 44
www.domainepaulpillot.com
Thierry on the last vintages:
“We needed the 2017 vintage – we were close to 70% down in volume in 2016 – but the yields were not high, but I’d say correct; early on we had some reds in Chassagne with 15 bunches! I hated to do it, but I removed them in the summer so that there was a maximum of seven bunches per vine…
“We see style difference between some wines that we attribute to the frost – a slightly better tonicity for the non-frosted vines. Given such complications I chose to use no new oak in this vintage. Only the aligoté is in bottle for now, and I might make the bottling for the others a little later than in most years – I’ve the impression that the wines will appreciate that.”
The wines…
Such a great cellar this vintage – whites to die for and reds that are almost as good! Bravo!
2016 St.Aubin 1er Charmois
The nose has a modest floral impression – quite attractive. Nice fresh width, with delicacy of flavour. A little green herb style in the middle. Quite nice.
2016 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Mazures
A ‘nice terroir’ below Champs Gains
A nice depth and width of aroma here. Bright, more intensity than the St.Aubin, almost a little muscle here. I love the finishing freshness and salinity – ‘Mazures is always a good terroir for the salinity.’
2016 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Champs Gains
Deeper soil, more clay versus Mazures. One of the richer wines of Chassagne, like Morgeot.
Lovely waves of intense flavour. Waves of finishing fresh flavour too, with a modest extra cushioning vs the Mazures. Super!
A wide and saline nose. Waves, of freshness here, fine intensity of complex flavour too. Really a freshness of intensity, mildly mineral and saline. This really ignites the palate!
Next to La Romanée – it was less frosted here, the wine is still in barrel.
Deeper, floral – this is a really impressive nose – super. Supple, just a hint more depth to the texture, melting, beautifully precise flavour. This is a great 16 – bravo!
Was a 60% loss here…
A less overt nose, faintly floral. Supple, directly delicious, a little fat, but just achingly delicious wine of fine freshness. Sucrosity, this wine has everything!
A modest weight of aroma but open and fresh. There’s just a trace of gas, maybe because of that the palate seems wider but it’s just as incisive as the last two. Really juicy, a shade less sucrosity but still generously and deliciously flavoured. A big burst of finishing flavour. Great wine!
Hmm, a very attractive floral note here. Supple, beautifully wide with fine silky texture. Another big burst of finishing flavour. Beautiful balance here… Again, such a great wine!
Les rouges…
2016 Bourgogne Rouge
Recently racked. Fruit from the commune of Chassagne
Broad and open pinot fruit. Nice volume. Pretty fruit of clarity, a little tannin – very young. But lots of potential.
2016 Chassagne-Montrachet
Mix of Morgeot plus others, 30% whole cluster too.
A deep and attractive pinot nose. Supple, more together today than the bourgogne – flavours of depth, a little herb and clusters, but sweetly juicy too. This will be super!
Here 50% whole cluster use.
Just a modest reduction on the nose, which deepens the effect. More forward tannin, but with a texture of flavour that compensates. Really wide, very nicely complex and a little saline. Lots of interesting, engaging, finishing flavour. This will be great. The last drops in the glass have no reduction and smell gorgeous…