CHASSAGNE MONTRACHET
2018 1er Cru Grandes Ruchottes Domaine Fernand & Laurent Pillot
Probably as much fat richness as the Vide Bourse, but with an extra dimension of mineral and a crisply saline side. Limestone texture - really lovely in a grand style.L&S (Oct 2019)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
Opening in the glass with notes of white flowers, pear, beeswax, mandarin orange and iodine, framed by a light touch of youthful reduction, the 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Grandes Ruchottes is medium to full-bodied, layered and tightly wound, with lively acids and good depth at the core. Bottled under Diam, this is quite reserved, even in the inherently giving 2018 vintage, and it will reward a bit of bottle age. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 93+ William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (Jan 2021)
This too had just been bottled so the nose wasn't as easy to read but it's again clear that the underlying fruit is ripe with more citrus influence than the Vide Bourse along with a hint of petrol. There is again fine volume and focused power to the seductively textured medium-bodied flavors that flash notably more minerality on the bitter lemon-inflected, complex and sneaky long finish that is quite tightly wound. This too offers very good upside development potential and is well worth checking out. Drinking range: 2028 - Rating: 93 Allen Meadows, www.Burghound.com (Jun 2020)
The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet Grandes Ruchottes 1er Cru has the best aromatics of the four wines tasted from Fernand & Laurent Pillot. It has a clean and precise bouquet with scents of citrus lemon, orange zest, peach skin and light ginger. The palate is well balanced with harmonious entry, fine acidity, a slightly waxy texture with a spicy and persistent finish. There is more breeding here compared to the Vide Bourse and it should give a decade’s worth of drinking pleasure. Drinking range: 2021 - 2032 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jan 2020)
Ripe aromatics and fruit. Super juicy and slightly tropical. It’s underpinned with minerality and freshness. Juxtaposition. Ripe/fresh finish. Drinking range: 2023 - 2032 Rating: 95 Sarah Marsh MW, The Burgundy Briefing (Nov 2019)
Domaine Fernand & Laurent Pillot
The origins of the Pillot family in Chassagne can be traced back to the eighteenth century, when they seem to have been coopers more than vignerons. In the nineteenth century they abandoned barrel-making in favour of enlarging the property in Chassagne. Fernand and Laurent, who is the fourth generation, added to it again in 1992, and then in 2001 Laurent's wife Marie-Anne inherited half of her family's property, the Pommard domaine of Pothier-Rieusset, and Laurent and his father bought the other half. The domaine now stands at 14.5 hectares of vines across almost the whole length of the Côte de Beaune from Santenay to Beaune.
The Domaine is worked according to organic principles and are ploughed – no chemical weedkillers are used. They have also been members of the Dephy-ECO-phyto group, which works to reduce the number of treatments using copper sulphate, since 2012. In 2021 they began the process of organic certification.
Laurent has always managed to pack in a lot alongside his running of the vineyard. He has his own plane which he flies to all corners of France, used keep and hunts hawks, and conducts the Chassagne brass band as well as dabbling in Mayoral duties - on top of being a father of three, Anaïs, Adrien and Eugène. They are all mad about the alps and disappear up the mountains at regular intervals.
Laurent's eldest son Adrien has been travelling the world making wine all over the place for the last few years having completed his training in Beaune. Bringing back lessons learnt in Australia, South Africa and California (and from a stint at Lea & Sandeman), During harvest Adrien is now the one in the winery while Laurent takes charge of the picking team. The wines have long been L&S favourites in both red and white - they represent excellent value, and they age very well too, despite being attractive young. The whites are precise and pure, and not lacking for body and generosity, while the reds are velvety and juicy, beautifully balanced even if drunk young on their expressive Pinot fruit. The domaine was rightfully heralded in Decanter Magazine as 'an address that deserves to be better-known'. Great value and real pleasure across their range.
Read more about Adrien here in this recent Forbes article here.
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