2022 Jean Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet
There are certain wines to look for every year and at the very top of my list are wines produced by Jean Marc Pillot . The core holdings are in some of the best parcels of Chassagne Montrachet. Vine age averages 25-50 years old but there are several plots where the vine age is over 100 years! With 15 hectares of vines under production, tasting here really gives you a nice snapshot of the vintage as there are a number of wines produced from terroirs up and down the Cote. Jean Marc’s son, Antonin, showed me the range this year and it was one of the highlights of the trip. Up and down the range there is a vibrance and electricity to the wines, great energy and absolutely impeccable balance. I know the white wines get all the attention, however they are producing some of the best Red Chassagne Montrachet you will find. Production here in both 2020 and 2021 was miserably tiny, so it was nice to finally see some more barrels in the cellar this year. No matter how much wine they produce I can never seem to get my hands on enough. These are wines you don’t want to miss. The range of 2022’s Chez Pillot are something any white burgundy collector is going to want to have in their cellar. The range from top to bottom is absolutely stellar!
Mid lemon yellow. Chunky after the refinement of the Puligny. Very concentrated though, in quite a different shape. Needs more elevage for this to open out but the finish shows promise. Concentrated fresh apples. Drink from 2025-2030. Tasted: October 2023.
- Jasper Morris, 89-91
Pale lemon yellow. The bouquet suggests a volume of fruit, some pears joining the apple notes, then kicks on very well to add another dimension. The fruit, flesh and acidity are all nicely integrated. Antonin has advanced the picking date for this vineyard in particular. Drink from 2027-2032. Tasted: October 2023.
- Jasper Morris, 91-93
Negociant cuvée. A little touch of sulphur on the nose. Again the fruit is largely in the apple direction. Not so much flesh from this terroir, more a question of stones with the fruit, medium bodied, some elegance and length. Good and approachable quite early. Drink from 2026-2030. Tasted: October 2023.
- Jasper Morris, 90-93
2022 Jean Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet 1er Chevevottes
Mid lemon yellow. The nose has a juicy character, even sucrosity, with excellent energy, a little of the yellow plum, this is more bombastic though with the requisite acidity. Plenty of flesh, a little more warmth, a contrast in style to Macherelles. Drink from 2027-2034. Tasted: October 2023.
- Jasper Morris, 91-93
A touch of lime in the colour. The nose has the generous weight of Morgeot, rarely expressive in detail in youth, and not this time. Ripe white fruit on the palate, some oak, a few tannins, a bit of sucrosity. Not yet knit together but all the ingredient are there. Shows best at the finish. Less acidity but enough structure overall. Drink from 2028-2036. Tasted: October 2023.
- Jasper Morris, 91-94
Fresh pale lemon and lime colour. The nose is high class, pulling out the stony character of this vineyard. Not quite floral, but a lifted white fruit, with energy at the back of the palate, and a fine long backbone. Keeps delivering more. Drink from 2027-2035. Tasted: October 2023.
- Jasper Morris, 92-94
- Jasper Morris, 93-96
- Jasper Morris, 89-91
- Jasper Morris, 89-92
STORY
With his impressive array of holdings throughout Chassagne-Montrachet, complemented by parcels in Puligny-Montrachet, Santenay, Montagny, and Rully, Jean-Marc Pillot is among the most important growers producing compelling White Burgundy. With almost 20 hectares of vines and two decades under his belt, we have watched Jean-Marc - a fourth-generation vigneron - find his way and master his craft. Today his generous, electrifying renderings of these great terroirs tend to sell out the moment they are released. In person, Jean-Marc is lively and warm; one can sense his tireless work ethic even in the nimble and speedy way in which he navigates his cellar. As is so often the case, his wines mirror his personality: exuberant, expressive, and bristling with energy. Without the use of chemicals, Jean-Marc works his domaine’s exceedingly old vines - averaging over 50 years but reaching as high as 110, and his fermentations always begin naturally. His use of oak is thoughtful and measured, never formulaic and always tailored to each wine in each vintage. He has an uncanny knack for employing new wood, as a skilled chef might employ salt: barely enough to notice, and just enough to enhance balance.
