At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Region
- Burgundy, Côte de Beaune
- Home village
- Chassagne-Montrachet
- Wines
- White and red Burgundy, including premier cru bottlings
- Farming
- Hand harvesting and sorting, with low yields
The Producer
Every grape is harvested and sorted by hand, and yields are kept painfully low. Domaine Fernand & Laurent Pillot farms 14.8 hectares in Côte de Beaune. Its 50 parcels are distributed over 22 appellations.
In 1994, Fernand Pillot handed winemaking responsibility to his son Laurent in a newly completed winery near the Route Nationale in Chassagne-Montrachet. Laurent has since transferred winemaking responsibilities to his son Adrien.
White wines ferment over 18 to 21 days in open vats, then age 12 to 18 months sur lie in barriques. Sur lie ageing keeps the wine in contact with spent yeast cells, which can add texture. Adrien Pillot uses oak judiciously and avoids filtration or fining wherever possible. The wines clearly express underlying minerality.
Place
Chassagne-Montrachet is the domaine's home village in the Côte de Beaune. Its lower Morgeot parcels have clay-heavy soil, and white wines from these holdings tend to be on the heavy side. Upper-slope vineyard parcels provide the contrasting part of this site portfolio.
Wines
The white wines include Bourgogne Blanc, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Sentier du Clou, Chassagne-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Vergers, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Vide Bourse in magnum, and Meursault 1er Cru Caillerets. Red wines include Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Rouge and Pommard Tavannes.
The 2023 Bourgogne Blanc has ripe green apple, pear and peach character. The 2023 Saint-Aubin and the Chassagne-Montrachet wines show the domaine across village and premier cru labels, while the red wines bring Pommard and Morgeot into the same Côte de Beaune portfolio.
In The Glass
The 2023 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Sentier du Clou has a bright, cool nose of white orchard fruits, well-managed acidity and emerging oak richness. The 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet shows ripe white and yellow orchard fruits, exotic notes, oak hints and balanced acidity.
The 2022 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Vide Bourse has wet stones, orchard fruit, white blossom and waxy lemon aromatics. Its palate combines high volume with a tightly wound feel and richness. The 2023 Meursault 1er Cru Caillerets carries ripe fruit without excess ripeness and harmonious balance even when young.
The 2020 Pommard Tavannes moves into red Burgundy, with cherries, sweet spices, licorice and loamy soil. It has medium to full body, rich texture, tangy acidity and chalky tannins suited to ageing.
Final Word
The domaine has held Lutte Raisonnée certification since 1990, DEPHY Ecophyto since 2012, and HVE3 since 2021.
Sources
- www.palmbay.com/wines/domaine-fernand-et-laurent-pillot
- www.bourgogne-info.eu/html/domaine_fernand_et_laurent_pillot.html
- www.alliancewine.com/our-producers/domaine-fernand-laurent-pillot
- www.chassagne-montrachet.com/en/producteurs/domaine-fernand-laurent-pillot-2
- www.leaandsandeman.co.uk/wine-producer/Domaine-Fernand-Laurent-Pillot-272-04.html