Domaine Fernand & Laurent Pillot
Burgundy
Certain surnames carry a larger burden depending on what you choose as your profession; “Jordan” on the rear of a basketball jersey may cause a few to squint, just as one could realistically expect a decent read from a chap named Dickens. In Burgundy’s village of Chassagne, such is the weight that the surname Pillot carries, as much is expected. Adrien Pillot of Fernand & Laurent Pillot oozes calm, easy charm and assuredness that almost obscures the fact that his grandmother is the sister of Marc Colin and that he is the godson of one Henri Germain.
Adrien’s backbone is anything but weak, weathered by a journey across the wine world - New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Oregon and back to France in the Côtes du Rhône - that by his fourth full harvest after taking over for his father, Adrien had already stamped his own mark on the wines of another terrific Pillot estate.
Complacency is not part of his vernacular; Adrien has isolated more and more plots within the family estate, now crafting some 28 unique labels in 35 separate tanks from his 58 different plots. “Our vineyard is the most important,” Adrien states, “That’s why there is no negoce.” He admits that his dad’s wines had drifted toward the more outgoing styles that critics once favored,but his own style is much about freshness, drinkability - the kinds of wines we crave, the bottles that get emptied first. Still, he’s humble: “A winemaker can also make vinegar, so we have to be precise!”
With a mother from Pommard and a father from Chassagne, Adrien has learned the ability to vacillate between the two different colors of Burgundy. His palate for reds trends toward freshness, as well. “There’s less extraction, but more skin contact,” Adrien informs, allowing that Pommard has always been known for “tougher” wines. “I taste daily until it’s ready, and the press is very gentle - I stop when it shows any bitterness.” The vineyard work being the most important, the selection process is of paramount importance. “The grapes look like caviar entering the tank,” he says, smiling wistfully.
For the white wines, the juice is pressed directly to barrel, utilizing all of the press juices and fine lees. No racking occurs over the 12-16 months the wines remain in barrel, continuing the obvious theme of delicate handling. “The less I do [in the winery[,” Adrien admits, “The better I feel.”
What strikes you most about Adrien is his humility; yet this man has risen to be the President of the Chassagne-Montrachet appellation, uniting the village in which everyone seems to be related to Burgundian royalty. “We are always on the same page,” Adrien asserts. “If we all grow together, we can grow this appellation together.” He’s promoted annual blind tastings among the vignerons, where the winners are perennially different, showing that the village is not a monochromatic one.
“In Chassagne,” says Adrien, speaking on the current age he’s presiding over, “You have a chance to make the wines you like, not what’s being asked for.”
VITICULTURE & VINIFICATION
Each of the vineyards under Adrien’s care is certified organic. All the grapes come from the vineyards of the domaine, and all farming is performed by the family. Each terroir is different so we adapt our work. Treatments are created using plants from the estate, and pruning, harvest and bottling are all done in observation of the moon’s phases. All vineyards are trimmed except Charmots and Rugiens where tressage (interweaving of the vines) was performed. Yields are naturally limited by old vines as much as the strict selection process.
Vines range from 20-55 years of age, with different variations of clay, limestone and rocky, pebbly soils that can inform the many different plots’ flavors and aromas. In the cellar, new oak is limited to 40% at the most, and sulfur also kept to a bare minimum - zero at press, with a minimal amount added into the tank and at bottling. Pressing and aging are extended only until the taste and structure are complete, avoiding any sharp or bitter flavors.
