Domaine Jean Marc Pillot Santenay Les Champs Claude 2020
(Burgundy, France)

About the Winery:
The domaine is dominated by its production of white wines but there are important cuvees of red wine produced here as well. Vineyard holdings are spread throughout the village of Chassagne with subsidiary parcels in Puligny, Santenay, Meursault and Remigny (to the south). This breadth of real estate enables the Pillot family to produce a stunning range of wines that put on brilliant display the intricacies of terroir in this southern tier of the Cote de Beaune. The estate's jewels are its premier crus blancs (Baudines, Chenevottes, Macherelles, Vergers, Morgeot, Caillerets, La Maltroie and Champs Gain) and premier cru rouges (Macherelles, Morgeot, Clos St.Jean), all within the boundaries of Chassagne Montrachet. However, one should not overlook several gems that come from less exalted appellations, such as the Bourgogne Blanc "Grands Champs", the Bourgogne Rouge "Grandes Terres", and the expressive Santenay Rouge "Champs Claude"; and, of course, there are the fine village wines in both white and red from Chassagne. Jean-Marc also accesses grapes in very limited quantities from interesting appellations like his Montagny 1er Cru "Les Gouresses" and Saint Romain Blanc "La Perriere".

The vines in most parcels are between 25 and 50 years old; in certain instances the vines are considerably older, reaching the 100 year mark in Clos Saint Jean and Clos Saint Marc (within the cru of Vergers). Traditional viticultural practices are used in the vineyards. Both Cordon de Royat and Guyot Simple pruning and training systems are employed. The spring and summer months are the time for intensive work in the vineyards to control the size and quality of the harvest, the work including de-budding, leaf-control and, when necessary, the vendange en vert. The vineyards are plowed, no herbicides are used and planting is at high density (10,000 vines per hectare on the village level; 12,000 vines per hectare on the 1er Cru level).

Harvest is manual. The white wines are almost all fermented and aged in barrel with a regimen of 10% to 30% new oak (the degree depending on the structure and importance of the wine). The wines are aged on the fine lees for twelve months and then are racked out of barrel into stainless steel tanks to clarify and settle naturally for an additional six months. The extra aging avoids the necessity to cold stabilize the wine. The red wines are destemmed entirely; the grapes undergo a brief cold maceration (up to five days) and then the alcoholic fermentation covers 10 to 12 days with both remontage and pigeage being practiced daily during that period. The reds are racked into barrel where the malolactic fermentation occurs; the wines are left in contact with the fine lees for twelve months; then, the wines are racked from barrel into stainless steel for an additional six months of aging before being bottled without filtration.

About the Wine:
Pillot owns a sizable 1.4-hectare parcel of Pinot Noir planted in 1970 in this Santenay lieu-dit, and his gentle extraction (100% whole clusters, employing only pump-overs) and no-new-oak élévage allow the friendly, juicy red fruit to take center stage over the rusticity typical of this appellation. The wine offers spice-drenched flavors of mentholated cherry, with a sense of rippling energy and mouthwatering acidity.

Allan Meadows' BurgHound:
"Discreet but perceptible wood sets off the ripe aromas earth, humus and black pinot fruit that has a vaguely wild aspect to it. There is excellent volume and mid-palate density to the nicely vibrant and textured medium-bodied flavors that exude a subtle minerality on the lightly austere and rustic finale. This is a lovely Santenay villages and worth your interest." (Apr 2022)

16/20 Points - Jancis Robinson:
"Cask sample. Juicy, bright red/black fruit. Very easy now. Good acid to keep everything fresh but the components are already in fine balance. Classy Santenay with length and complexity on the finish."

Jasper Morris' Inside Burgundy:
Intense black purple. Another supercharged nose but not ugly. There is a stricter structure alongside quick a black cherry/raspberry fruit. Maybe this is a little brutal now but should settle down fairly well. Tasted Oct 2021.