Domaine Paul Pillot

Domaine Paul Pillot - Top wines from Chassagne-Montrachet

The Domaine Paul Pillot is a winery in the commune of Chassagne-Montrachet in Burgundy. This family estate can look back on a history of more than 100 years, which began with Jean-Baptiste Pillot, a cooper who decided to cultivate his own vines. His sons Alphonse and Henri soon followed him, significantly expanding the estate and bottling the first wines of the domaine. In 1968, the next generation followed with Henri’s son Paul, the estate’s current namesake. He acquired the Premier Cru vineyards Clos Saint Jean, Les Grandes Ruchottes, Les Caillerets, La Grande Montagne and Les Charmois in the commune of Saint-Aubin, thus laying the foundation for the next era of viticulture in the Pillot family. In 2003, Thierry, Paul’s son, joined the estate after gaining experience abroad. His sister Chrystelle has also been involved in the winery since 2005 and works together with her brother in the family business. Under their guidance, the viticultural techniques were updated and a deliberately subtle proportion of new oak was introduced in the cellar in order to further refine the wines. 

The vineyards of Domaine Paul Pillot

The Pillots now own around 13 hectares of vineyards in Chassagne, St. Aubin and Santenay. Two-thirds of the vineyards are planted with white varieties. The following grape varieties are grown today:

• Pinot Noir
• Chardonnay

The vineyards in Chassagne-Montrachet mainly have limestone and clay soils. The wines from this region are among the best-known wines worldwide. Thierry likes to describe the estate’s own wines as classic, meaning that they are highly terroir-driven. The grape varieties are only a means to an end; the site is the truly decisive factor. That is why there is no single “house” Chardonnay or Pinot Noir from Pillot, but rather a Clos St. Jean or Charmois. The Pillots rely exclusively on organic cultivation, even though they do not hold certification. Herbicides and insecticides are taboo; the impact on nature is intended to be kept as low as possible.

The cellar and wine of Paul Pillot

In the cellar, as already mentioned, new oak is used in a targeted way. This proportion usually amounts to 20%, but Le Romanée is matured with a share of 30%. The maturation period of the wines varies, but is usually between 12 and 18 months. The Pillots release around 70,000 bottles of wine for sale each year.