2021 Domaine Paul Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge "Vieilles Vignes", Burgundy, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

Little Chassagne-Montrachet rouge is made each year. This old-vine Chassagne rouge hails from a single 0.94-hectare parcel of 50-plus-year-old Pinot Noir vines, grown on the red clays of Les Grandes Terres on the Santenay side of Chassagne. Vinification is with 50% whole cluster bunches and aging is in 90% used oak barrels.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Domaine Paul Pillot was founded in 1900 by Jean-Baptiste Pillot, a barrel maker by trade, who decided to focus full-time on his vines. His sons, Alphonse and Henri, succeeded him after the conclusion of World War I, increasing the Domaine’s holdings significantly and beginning to bottle their own wines. Henri’s son Paul then took over the Domaine in 1968, acquiring more prestigious vineyards across Chassagne-Montrachet and Saint-Aubin. Today, the domaine owns 13 hectares of vines (4.5 in red) and is run by Paul’s son Thierry who began working in 1999, before taking over full time in 2004. Thierry is the 4^th generation to take on the reins of this storied property and is one Burgundy’s brightest stars. Under Thierry the focus has been put squarely in the vineyards, with a discreet use of new wood and a non-interventionist approach in the cellar. The result is wines of extraordinary finesse and palate staining purity that perfectly reflect the finest terroirs of Chassagne-Montrachet and Saint-Aubin.