Paul Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Grandes Ruchots 1er 2018

This tiny, 2.13-hectare vineyard (of which the Pillots have only a 0.26-hectare parcel) is rarely seen but is nonetheless one of Chassagne’s prime sites. It’s situated between La Romanée and En Cailleret, and on roughly the same line as Le Montrachet. Ramonet works over half of this vineyard (although he chooses to drop the Grandes part of the name as is historically allowed). The site sits at around 260 metres above sea level and has a southeast aspect and marly, limestone-rich soils. With so few growers it is not surprising that this vineyard is not so well-known, but the wine is always brilliant. Smoky or matchstick reductive notes are very typical, as is great finesse and purity, bright citrus and white florals along with a firm raciness reflecting the high altitude and rocky soils. The 2018 is stunning.

“The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Grandes Ruchottes is showing brilliantly, revealing an incipiently complex bouquet of lime, pear, waxy citrus rind, white flowers and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and muscular, its textural attack segues into a lively, tensile mid-palate, before concluding with chalky grip. This is one of the wines that can rival its 2017 counterpart chez Pillot.” 93-95 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate.

“Outstanding. Like the Champ Gains this too is overtly floral in character with pretty and airy aromas of spice and citrus-suffused white orchard fruit. There is a lovely sense of underlying tension to the lightly stony and chalky-textured flavors that terminate in a linear, saline and chiseled finish. This lovely effort is like rolling small stones around in the mouth and a wine that should age gracefully over the mid-term.” 90-93 points, Allen Meadows, Burghound issue 79.

“Les Grandes Ruchottes sits close to Les Caillerets on the slope above Chassagne-Montrachet, but produces very different styles of wine from its redder, deeper soils. This is richer and more textured than its neighbour in 2018, with greater weight and concentration, deftly integrated new wood, hints of cream and butter and pithy underlying acidity.” 96 points, Tim Atkin MW, Decanter.