Jean-Marc Pillot

Sep/Oct 07

By Stephen Tanzer

Like a number of his neighbors in Chassagne-Montrachet, Pillot did not begin harvesting chardonnay in 2006 until September 20, as he believed that even three days earlier the grapes were not yet sufficiently ripe. He describes '06 as "a mysterious year," with the wines possessing low pHs, sound acidity and high sugars. "I've never seen quite this combination of firm spinal column and full ripeness," he summarized. Pillot uses a maximum of one-third new oak for his premier crus, and 50% for his Chevalier-Montrachet. Note that the domain wines here are labeled Jean Pillot et Fils. Pillot's style has evolved in recent years, with his choice of picking dates, his approach to elevage, and the timing and quantity of sulfur additions now aimed at producing vins de garde. (Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY)
Also recommended: Saint-Romain La Perriere (86).

2006 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Saint Romain La Perriere   86-88
Exotic aromas of pear and lichee. Fat, thick and sweet but with a surprising edge of acidity giving the finish a firm quality. On the heavy side today, but this will ferment a bit more of its remaining 3.5 grams per liter of residual sugar.

2006 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Montagny Les Gouresses   87-89
(Pillot picked these vines first) Fresh pineapple and a rocky note on the nose. Rich, dense and lively, with good cut to the pineapple and grapefruit flavors. Finishes persistent, quite dry and firm, even a bit youthfully bitter. In contrast to the Saint-Romain, this wine finished its alcoholic fermentation with less than one gram of sugar, according to Pillot.

2006 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Chaumees   88-90
Aromatic nose suggests white flowers and chlorophyll. Sappy, fresh and primary, with noteworthy density to the pear and floral flavors. Plenty rich and fat yet still comes across as more vibrant than the '05. Conveys an impression of sucrosite despite carrying less than one gram of residual sugar. Note that this is from old vines but is not a premier cru.

2006 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Puligny Montrachet Noyer Brets 87-89
Slightly reduced aromas of peach, smoke and spices. Fat, sweet and rich, with an exotic hint of lichee; a bit heavy for Puligny. From a moderate crop level and picked at the end of the harvest (September 25). Another barrel showed more acidity, and livelier notes of minerals and flowers.

2006 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Champs Gains 88-91
Ripe yellow fruits, smoke and a whiff of lichee on the nose. Then almost aggressively dry in the mouth, with sound acidity framing the lemon and white peach flavors. Tight, citrussy and unforthcoming today. This combines the exotic aspect of 2006 with the strong acidity of 2004.

2006 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Chenevottes  88-91
Ripe aromas of pear, flowers and lichee. Dry but rich and tactile, with harmonious acidity leavening the slightly exotic fruit character. A bit edgy on the back end.

2006 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Vergers   90-93  
Vibrant, complex nose melds grapefruit peel, pineapple, pear and stone. Taut, juicy and perfumed on the palate, with lovely lift to the subtle grapefruit, underripe pineapple and licorice flavors. The firm but nicely integrated acidity gives this the structure to age. Pillot notes that these grapes stubbornly retain their acidity, allowing him to harvest here up to a week after he begins bringing in his chardonnay. A Chassagne for Puligny lovers.

2006 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Morgeot Les Fairendes   89-92
Very ripe aromas of pineapple, peach and apricot. Fat, sweet, ripe and fruity, with harmonious acidity giving this noteworthy vivacity and balance for a 2006. At once generous and fresh, with a complicating note of vanilla. Pillot picked this at the beginning, which appears to have been a smart move. Quintessential Chassagne-Montrachet, and capable of giving early pleasure.

2006 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets   90-93
Pineapple and mirabelle on the nose; very ripe for this cuvee Big, dense and rich but not at all overly sweet. Very low residual sugar and a rocky element accentuate the impression of spine. The tactile, saline finish boasts excellent persistence.

2006 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Macherelles 89-91
Sappy aroma of crushed stone. Fairly full in the mouth but with a mineral underpinning to the brisk flavors of lime and pear. A bit hard to assess today owing to its remaining sugar and high level of carbonic gas but this appears to be a generous and pliant wine, albeit one without quite the class of the Cailleret. Finishes with a saline suggestion of minerality.

2006 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Baudines 89-92
(entirely negociant wine) Slightly reduced aromas of honey and white flowers. Rich, sweet and fat, but kept firm by brisk acidity and spicy minerality. Quite reserved and backward today and tricky to taste. But clearly more firmly built than the Macharelles. This is a very "cold" lieu-dit where the acidity is always high and the grapes are hard to ripen, notes Pillot.

2006 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Vergers Clos Saint-Marc 92-94
Good pale color. Pure, vibrant aromas of grapefruit, white flowers and stone. Dense and rich but youthfully taut, with lovely clarity to the tactile flavors of lemon, grapefruit and white flowers. This seamless, spherical wine boasts a saline, dusty character, with minerally acidity extending the finish and giving it cut. Today this comes across as much more closed and structured than the comparatively exotic 2005 version.

2005 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Chaumees 87
Ripe pear and honey aromas. Fat and sweet but firm, with harmonious acidity leavening the pear fruit. More lacy in texture than the comparatively warm Saint-Romain. Finishes with a slight bitter edge and lingering notes of apple and nuts.

2005 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Morgeot Les Fairendes   89
(this and the following wines were bottled in February of 2007, while the Chaumes was bottled in September of '06) Musky aromas of citrus fruits and white flowers. Juicy, intensely flavored and nicely delineated, with good cut to the flavors of pear, citrus peel and spring flowers. This boasts surprising acid spine and good density. A step up in grip and length from the Chaumes: Pillot picked this parcel early in 2005. Carrying a reasonable 13.2% alcohol.

2005 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Vergers   91
Subdued but pure aromas of pear, white flowers and minerals; very Chassagne. Dense and broad but vibrant, with good mineral spine and lemony acidity framing the flavors of pear and flowers. Finishes with very good grip and length.

2005 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets 92(+?)
Good pale color. Aromas of menthol, licorice, flowers, mint and liquid stone; one can really smell the rocks here. Rich, dense, dry and backward, with a powerful mineral-driven gunflint character that reminded me of Chevalier-Montrachet. There's a hint of dried fruits here, but this is almost painfully closed today, with very firm acidity accentuating the wine's minerality. This fermented its sugar until June of '06, noted Pillot, adding that the wine was now "on the starting block." Built to age.

2005 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Vergers Clos Saint-Marc   92(+?)
Very ripe, carnal nose currently dominated by apricot. Large-scaled, dense and full, with an exotic, highly expressive quality to the apricot, toast and honey flavors; there's something almost gewurztraminer-like about this big boy, and yet the acidity level is quite sound. ("The grapes on these very old vines always remain pale; they never turn gold," notes Pillot.) This is much more typical for the vintage than the Cailleret. The finish is rich, saline and very dry, with strong fruit aromas filling the retronasal passage. Am I underrating this?

2005 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chevalier Montrachet   93(+?)
Complex aromas of pear, white flowers, menthol, quinine and crushed stone; this could only be Chevalier-Montrachet. Big and rich but not particularly fruity and not at all exotic; this one too is on the starting block today. Hints of white flowers and menthol in the middle palate. Finishes chewy, rich, dry and very long.

Sep/Oct 05

Pillot described the summer of 2004 as a difficult one, though he said there was much less oidium in Chassagne-Montrachet than in Puligny. The sites where he eliminated fruit at the end of July ultimately produced better grape sugars, noted Pillot, but even in these parcels the ultimate volume of the crop was high. He chaptalized all of his cuvees lightly, adding the sugar to extend the fermentations. The result was more fat in the wines, along with residual sugars in the 1.5 to 2 grams per liter range, or a little more than usual. The malos were mostly over early here; the wines had been sulfited during the first four months of the year and thus were showing well by the beginning of June. Pillot compares the 2004s to the 2002s in acidity but says they have less flesh. His 2003s have turned out extremely well; the best of them almost magically avoid the signature of the vintage. Pillot harvested on the late side, but acidified his '03s only lightly, and some not at all. He told me that early on he thought this had been a mistake, but now he's satisfied with his decision. "Added acidity would have dried the tongue," he said. "And besides, the wines seemed to pick up acidity during the alcoholic fermentations," an observation repeated by a number of Pillot's colleagues. (Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Shekomeko, NY)

2004 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Montagny Les Gouresses 88-90

Aromas of gentian, chalk and rocks. Dense, sweet and chewy, but with strong acids to frame its citrus, stone and spice flavors. Not complex but offers a saliva-inducing sugar/acid balance.

2004 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Meursault Tillets 87-89

Soft citrus fruits and toasted baguette on the nose. Then sweeter and softer on the attack than the Montagny, and rounder in the middle palate. Less exuberant than the Montagny but there's good underlying minerality here and very good persistence.

2004 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Puligny Montrachet Noyer Brets 86-89

Sweet citrus scents, grilled almond and flowers on the nose. Rather strict and on the lean side but without any rough edges. A rather upright wine without quite the shoulders of the Tillets, and with its acidity currently dominating.

2004 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Chaumees 89-92

Pure, musky aromas of citrus peel and white flowers. Supple and ripe but dry; pure and light on its feet. Flavors similar to the aromas. Fine-grained, complete wine, finishing with subtle persistence and some youthfully edgy acidity.

2004 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Macherelles 89-91

(racked and assembled) Aromas of lemon, flowers, spices and white truffle. Fleshy and supple but with very good cut; the floral character carries through in the mouth. Finishes pure and citrusy, with lovely length. This tastes virtually like a finished wine already. (Pillot's intensely flavored but tight Champsgain was too reduced to assess.)

2004 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Vergers 90-93

Pure, perfumed aromas of white peach and spring flowers. Silky, pristine and light on its feet, with lovely delicate perfume and subtle sweetness. Not hugely concentrated but has a near-perfect balance and conveys a distinctly savory impression. And showing extremely well today. This is very much like a 2002 in style.

2004 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Chenevottes 90-93

Reticent, spicy nose. Chewy and solid, with stronger acidity than the Verget. A more masculine style of wine, backward and austere. Finishes very long, with a note of menthol.

2004 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Morgeot 89-92

Complex aromas of lemon, honey, white flowers and menthol. Round and full but quite dry and lively. A very rich wine with good concentration and volume for the year. Finishes with a pronounced spicy character.

2004 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets 91-94

Lemon cream, lime sorbet, chalk and flowers on the nose. Then sweet, dense and fat, with perfectly integrated acids framing and extending the citrus and crushed stone flavors. Very silky and very long.

2004 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Clos Saint-Marc 92-95

Superripe nose offers ripe stone fruits, spices and anise. Rich, fat, ripe and sweet but with terrific acidity firming the grapefruit and peach flavors. Wonderfully lush, layered but very firm wine coats the palate with dusty stone and leaves the mouth fresh. Extremely long. As penetrating as the wine is, though, it's not at all hard. The grape skins here really stay green, notes Pillot.

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Morgeot 88(+?)

($85) Honey, flowers and spicy vanillin oak on the nose. Flavors of stone fruits and honey are given shape by some firm acids; slightly disjointed. Best today on the persistent, citrusy finish, which is fresh for 2003.

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Baudines 90

($90; from a vineyard high up on the hillside) Complex nose combines lemon, honey and white flowers. Juicy, stony and firm, with distinctly rocky flavors of citrus skin, mint and minerals, plus a hint of almost peppery spiciness. This has terrific energy for the vintage. Finishes with a youthful dry edge. I'd give this at least a couple of years.

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Vergers 90

($78) Reticent nose hints at citrus, minerals and gunflint. Then densely packed and showy, with complex flavors of lemon, lime, flowers, minerals and silex. A lovely combination of firm acidity and mineral character. This really showcases the site.

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets 91

($90) Subdued but pure aromas of lemon, lime, white truffle and spring flowers. Supple and full in the mouth, with sweet citrus and floral flavors. More pliant than the Vergers in the middle palate, but finishes with a piquant twist of bitter lemon. Delicious.

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Clos Saint-Marc 92(+?)

($100) Superripe but pure aromas of candied lemon peel, chalk, flint and white flowers. Wonderfully dense and old-viney, with brisk lemon and stone flavors given even greater penetration by strong acids. This seems almost tannic on the finish. Like the foregoing wines, this transcends the vintage. A wine like this could well evolve in bottle for 10 to 15 years.

September 30, 2004

Jean Marc Pillot Puligny-Montrachet Les Caillerets 2001 94 Points

Big, with toasted oak overwhelming the fruit for now; but it has stuffing, with lemon, honey and a resinous tone.

2002 Chassagne-Montrachet red 87
2002 Chassagne-Montrachet "Les Macherelles" 1er red 88
2002 Chassagne-Montrachet "Morgeot" 1er red 89
2002 Santenay "Champs Claude" red 88

Jean-Marc Pillot calls 2002 a "better balanced vintage than 2001 with more vivacity and better overall balance. Moreover, it's as good in red as it is in white as the wines are rich, ripe and very pinot in basic character. Yields were relatively low becaus we did a severe green harvest, coming in between 30 and 35 hl/ha with almost no chaptalization". The reds were bottled in August and December and I tasted them in early March. (Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Shekomeko, NY; Champagnes et Ch'teaux).

2002 Chassagne-Montrachet:

This is trËs pinot in style with fruity, slightly rustic red fruit aromas leading to rich, concentrated, earthy flavors underpinned by ripe, slightly edgy tannins and a sweet, delicious, persistent finish. This is a very solid effort for its level and it's a wine that could be approached young or held for a few years. 87/2007-12

2002 Santenay "Champs Claude":

Exuberant, gamy and intense red fruit notes introduce round, substantial and dense middle weight flavors that possess plenty of punch and finishing intensity. To be sure, this is no model of elegance but the complexity is impressive and I like the flavor authority. Recommended. 88/2007-12

2002 Chassagne-Montrachet "Les Macherelles":

A clear step up in elegance and precision if not density with very fresh, precise and mineral-infused aromas and flavors and only a hint of finishing rusticity. This offers a completely different expression than the Santenay with more sophisticated tannins but not necessarily more complexity or intrinsic quality. This too is quite good and recommended. 88/2008-12

2002 Chassagne-Montrachet "Morgeot":

(from the subclimat of Les Fairendes). Almost always the best wine chez Pillot and so it is again in 2002 with deeply concentrated and earthy red and black pinot fruit notes that explode from the glass and complement robust, dense, muscular flavors supported by buried tannins and a tight, reserved and punchy finish. Unlike the prior wines that could possibly be enjoyed young, this will clearly require time to be at its best. 89/2008-14

Sept./Oct. 2004

Some people violated the law of nature and picked too early, just 85 days after the flowering," opined Jean-Marc Pillot, who started harvesting chardonnay on August 30, nearly the normal 100 days after the flowering. We had to wait to have enough sugar so that we wouldn't have to chaptalize," he explained, adding that potential alcohols were typically between 13% and 13. 6%-"but not 14%!"In any event, he went on, the rain during the afternoon of August 27 really helped the grapes. Growers in Chassagne-Montrachet benefited by harvesting later, as a rule, than those in Meursault, Pillot added. Pillot reduced his percentage of new oak "to avoid getting even hotter, heavier wines. "The 2003s, he told me, have changed completely since April-and for the better. (Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Shekomeko NY

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Saint Romain

85-88

Exotic hints and a whiff of gunflint on the nose. Then rich, fat and sweet, with flavors of soft citrus fruits and banana. This is usually austere and high in acidity, notes Pillot, but not in 2003. Still, this is nicely balanced for the vintage, finishing with a spicy element.

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Montagny Les Gouresses 86-89

Aromas of lemon, smoke and spices. Lush and spicy, with good fruit intensity and grip. A bit less open than the Saint-Romain, finishing with a slight tartness.

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Puligny Montrachet 85-87

Reticent aromas of peach and butter. Lush on entry, then drier and less fat in the middle, even a bit spiky today. Offers ripe peach and coconut flavors but comes across as a bit youthfully disjointed.

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Meursault Tillets 87-90

Leesy aromas of hazelnut, flint, stone and smoke. Rich, sweet and voluminous, with good life in the middle palate. The longer fermentation here has given the wine a particularly sweet impression, not to mention good complexity. The rich flavors of lime, minerals and smoke linger nicely on the finish.

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet 87-89

Pure aromas of lime, lemon, white flowers, vanilla and coconut. Fat, rich and sweet, combining lush fruit and solid underlying minerality. Shows lowish but adequate acidity. Slightly hardened today by sulfur, but ultimately offers more finesse than the Meursault Tillets. Finishes with a smoky nuance and a touch of unabsorbed acidity.

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Vergers 89-92

Complex, ripe aromas of peach, mirabelle, flowers and smoky oak. Sweet and fat but lively, with flavors similar to the aromas, nicely firmed by lemony acidity and a stony underpinning. This has clearly benefited from the parcel's normally higher acidity. Finishes slightly aggressive but persistent.

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Champs Gains 89-92

(from a crop level of just 25 hectoliters per hectare, according to Pillot) Very ripe yellow fruit aromas border on exotic. Very fat and full, with superrich flavors of peach, apricot and smoky, spicy oak. "This reminds me of a superripe '92," says Pillot.

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Chenevottes 90-92

Musky aromas of white peach, citrus fruits, white flowers and coconut. Quite suave and fresh in the mouth, with sound acidity. Distinctly rocky, minerally wine with considerable finesse. Unusually airy for the vintage. Finishes very persistent and subtle.

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Morgeot 88-90

Musky nose currently dominated by nutty oak. Less forthcoming in the mouth than the Chenevottes, but shows lively lemon and lime flavors and good cut. Distinctly slow to open and not yet revealing its personality. But there's no lack of freshness here.

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets 90-93

Aromatic nose combines citrus skin, flowers, minerals and star anise. Dense and silky on entry, then rich but stylish in the middle, with a sappy freshness and a strong impression of structure. Very long and nuanced on the back end. A distinctly powerful wine that will require at least a couple years of bottle aging. This was heavy in February, notes Pillot, but is showing much more detail today. (Incidentally, Pillot did not buy Puligny-Montrachet Caillerets or Chevalier-Montrachet in 2003. He told me that there simply were not enough grapes. )

2003 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Clos Saint-Marc 91-94

Spicy aromas of pineapple, ginger, dusty stone and coconut. Penetrating, very intense flavors of grapefruit, pineapple and spring flowers. At once classy and rather powerful, with strong acidity contributing to the impression of firm backbone. As bracing as a fresh grapefruit. Distinctly elegant for the vintage: I would never have picked this blind as a 2003. There are just two barrels of this juice, one of them new. Technically rather low in acidity, but this should still be capable of developing in bottle for a decade or more.

2002 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet 89

($47) Citrus fruits, minerals, white flowers and menthol on the scented nose. Full and strong for village wine, with good lemony acidity lifting and extending the citrus, mineral and floral flavors. Lingering limey aftertaste.

2002 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Vergers 91(+?)

($65) Dee ply pitched aromas of white peach, nectarine, acacia flower and sweet oak. Superripe and rich, with strong acidity framing the mineral and floral flavors. Rather youthfully bracing on the finish, with excellent lift and length.

2002 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Champs Gains 90(+?)

Very ripe nose hints at citrus skin, pistachio and licorice. Very closed in the mouth; rich but a bit youthfully sharp today, with strong acidity. Very tightly wound premier cru that finishes with an almost tannic impression.

2002 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Chenevottes 92(+?)

($65) Musky aromas of white flowers and nuts. Sweet, dense and concentrated, with pure, sharply delineated flavors of citrus fruits and flowers. Strong acids give this very rich wine a light touch and excellent cut. Very strong on the finish. This really calls for five or six years of cellaring.

2002 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Morgeot 91+

($70) Reticent nose shows more buttery oak than fruit today. Then fresh but closed in the mouth, with a hint of lemon. Best today on the very long, strong finish. Today, this shows the rigor of the vintage more than it displays its terroir character.

2002 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets 93(+?)

($80) Complex nose melds white peach, raw pineapple, powdered stone and white flowers. Dense but airy on entry, then suave and silky in the middle, with subtle grapefruit and pineapple flavors complemented by buttery oak. Wonderfully understated wine: light on its feet but intense and penetrating. Finishes with compelling perfume and length.

2002 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet Clos Saint-Marc 95(+?)

($90; some of these vines may be 100 years old, Pillot believes) Aroma reminiscent of Chevalier-Montrachet: gunflint, rocks, menthol and orange peel. This wine always shows strong "hydrocarbon" notes, says Pillot. Taut and penetrating, with extremely intense flavors of pineapple, red grapefruit, quinine and toast. A wine of terrific thrust and energy. Opens out like a peacock's tail and goes on and on. This really gets the salivary glands working. Should develop for a decade or more. Year in and year out, this cuvee hits my G-spot.

2002 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Puligny Montrachet Clos de Caillerets 94(+?)

($125) Aromas of minerals, menthol and marzipan. Gives a sweeter impression on entry than the Clos Saint-Marc, then stains the palate with flavors of white grapefruit, lemon and dusty stone. This, too, offers great penetration and grip in the style of the best 2002s. Very dense, palate-coating wine with noteworthy solidity, power and length. Left behind the scent of white truffle in the empty glass.

2002 Domaine Jean-Marc Pillot Chevalier Montrachet 96(+?)

(aged in 100% new barrels) Quintessential Chevalier aromas of powdered stone, menthol and white truffle, complemented by oak char. At once superrich and lively, with almost painfully penetrating flavors of lemon, minerals and dusty stone. Offers extraordinary solidity in the mouth but also great precision and class. In fact, this conveys an almost weightless impression thanks to its sheer energy, as only chardonnay from chalky soil can do. Explosive, mounting flavors saturate the palate with citrus and stone.

May 15, 2004

Chassagne-Montrachet Les Vergers 2001 92

Ripe and supple, a harmonious white that tastes of pear, sweet fruit, citrus and honey. Full-bodied, it lingers on the creamy, satiny finish, with a hint of matchstick and smoke. Drink now through 2009.

Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chenevottes 2001 91

Elegant. Built in a firm, tightly wound way, but there are plenty of lively crisp fruit and citrus notes along with smoke, honey and tropical character. Medium-bodied, it shows its quality on the long, clean, racy finish. Best from 2005 through 2010.

Puligny-Montrachet Les Caillerets 2001 94

Very big white, full-bodied, with a lot of toasted oak that overwhelms the fruit for now. But it has plenty of stuffing, and delivers lemon, honey and a slight resinous tone that may not be everybody's cup of tea. Premier cru that tastes like a grand cru. Best from 2006 through 2012.

Sept./Oct. 2003

Jean-Marc Pillot's highly impressive 2002s offer the exhilarating sugar/acid balance of this vintage at its best. The fermentations were long, leaving behind healthy levels of residual sugar," he told me. But we got concentration in the days leading up to the harvest from evaporation of water in the grapes, rather than from sheer heat, which would have resulted in a drop in acidity and unbalanced wines. The evaporation concentrated all the elements, the grape sugars and the acids." Pillot added that he needed to pick his Chassagne fruit a couple of days later than in Puligny as the fruit was not quite as ripe. In the end, though, virtually no chaptalization was needed. Incidentally, with his cellar fully air-conditioned for the first time in 2002, Pillot carried out a cooler fermentation, with the temperature a very low 50F at the end, when the wines went into barrel, and Pillot feels this approach was good for the wines' aromatics.

Saint Romain Blanc 2002 87-89

(Pillot rents these vines) Exotic, superripe aroma of mandarin orange. Then very ripe but also dry, with strong minerality and excellent sugar/acid balance. Part of this cuvee is done in tank to maximize the retention of fruit. Impressive for the appellation.

Montagny "Les Duresses" 2002 87-89

Pungent aromas of citrus skin, juniper berry, flowers and smoky oak. Juicy and refreshing but also quite full in the mouth. A vibrant, persistent wine that should offer considerable early appeal.

Meursault "Tillets" 2002 87-90

Aromas of lime, quinine and flowers. In a leaner, distinctly dry style, with bright, penetrating grapefruit and quinine flavors and very good cut. Young, subtle and firm Meursault. "The 2002s have a positive bitterness, almost a saltiness," notes Pillot. "They make you salivate."

Puligny Montrachet "Noyers Brets" 2002 88-91

(a village parcel located below Enseigneres) Deep, cool aroma of dark plum liqueur. Fat, rich and expansive but quite dry, with a subdued grapefruit flavor. A full, seamless wine with a long, subtle finish.

Chassagne Montrachet "Chaumes" 2002 89-91

(this village parcel is located under Champsgain) Subtly spicy aromas of apricot, grapefruit, honey and flowers. Creamy to the point of unctuous but with grapefruity acidity and firm minerality giving the wine backbone. Should make a very rich village wine.

Chassagne Montrachet "Champs Gain" 2002 90-92

Brisk aromas of pineapple and grapefruit. Dense, fat and sweet, with bracing grapefruity acids giving the palate terrific verve and energy. Chewy and detailed. Solidly structured, very long wine, finishing with exhilarating notes of pepper and clove.

Chassagne Montrachet "Vergers" 2002 90-93

High-pitched aromas of grapefruit, gunflint and oak. Juicy and tightly wound, with bright grapefruity acids and a strong stony component giving the wine a classic dryness. Showing less obvious volume today than the Champsgain but this is somehow supple and not at all hard. Finishes with lovely lingering sweetness.

Chassagne Montrachet "Baudines" 2002 89-91?

Nose dominated by lees and vanillin oak; much less vibrant and pure today than the Vergers. Layered and concentrated but reduced and in need of a racking. Strong flavor of grapefruit. In an awkward stage and difficult to assess with confidence.

Chassagne Montrachet "Morgeot" 2002 91-93

(13.6% natural alcohol) Deep, very ripe, highly aromatic nose of grapefruit, pepper and smoky oak. Dense, sweet and thick but with lovely acids giving shape to the grapefruit and floral flavors. Wonderfully velvety wine, the longest to this point among Pillot's 2002s. "Natural grape sugars give more glycerine to a wine than chaptalization," observes Pillot.

Chassagne Montrachet "Caillerets" 2002 90-93

(from millerande grapes, the first to be harvested in 2002) Candied yellow fruits, spices and a peppery note on the nose. Dense and strong, with intense flavors of pineapple, minerals and spice. Very firmly built white Burgundy, with a solid spine of acidity. Finishes chewy, tactile, brisk and long.

Montrachet "Caillerets" 2002 91-94

Scented nose of white peach and spicy oak. Offers great sweetness for Puligny-Montrachet, yet comes across as light on its feet thanks to racy acids and spice and mint notes. In fact, this is quite backward and uncompromisingly dry. Juicy and gripping on the long aftertaste.

Chassagne Montrachet "Clos Saint-Marc" 2002 93-96

Discreet, pure nose features quince, white flowers, ginger and talc. Dense and opulent yet laid-back and evolving slowly. Conveys great sweetness and a powerful impression of soil character. Superb gingery, peppery finish coats the palate with a layer of mineral dust.

Chevalier Montrachet 2002 92-96

Very reticent nose hints at powdered stone and spices. Penetrating and precise, with superb power and thrust. The uncompromisingly mineral flavors of lemon, lime and stone offer great energy and verve, as well as a distinct youthful bitterness. A wine of great density and finesse, finishing with superb grip and persistence. Pillot's premier crus will probably be at their best between 2008 and 2013, but this wine really calls for a good seven or eight years of bottle aging.

Meursault "Tillets" 2001 86

Ripe aromas of butter, toffee and spicy oak. Fat, sweet, full and honeyed, with a hint of citrus fruit; richly oaky but a bit soft. Has volume but lacks real thrust.

Chassagne Montrachet "Vergers" 2001 89

Ripe orchard fruits complemented by sexy oak on the nose. Ripe and juicy, with nicely delineated grapefruit, lemon and floral flavors. Sweetness nicely buffered by sound acids. Perfect for drinking within the next five or six years.

Chassagne Montrachet "Morgeot" 2001 88

Restrained aromas of honey and nutty oak. Rich, plump and dense, with a layered texture and very ripe flavors of spiced bread and almond paste. Pillot picks this fruit early to avoid having the wine's honeyed aspect dominate, and in fact this shows good firm acidity for the vintage. Still, it's not as precise as the Vergers.

Chassagne Montrachet "Champs Gain" 2001 90

Aromatic floral, nutty nose sweetened by oak. Fat and rich in the mouth, but with a lovely sugar/acid balance. Conveys an exotic fruit quality, but brisk grapefruit and lemon elements give the wine shape and grip. Has the personality to provide early pleasure.

Chassagne Montrachet "Caillerets" 2001 90

Complex nose melds pineapple, flowers, caramel, vanilla, hazelnut and oak spices. Then laid-back and dry, with pronounced grapefruit and gunflint elements giving the wine a distinctly rocky character. Less plump than the Champsgains, finishing with brisk grapefruit and lemon flavors.

Chassagne Montrachet "Clos Saint-Marc" 2001 92

(just four barrels produced from this 1.5-hectare monopole within Vergers; Pillot will begin to blend fruit from recently replanted vines with the 70-year-old vines in 2003) Deep, sexy, rather exotic aromas of grapefruit, pineapple and ripe strawberry. Huge, fat and full, with compellingly sweet, ripe grapefruit and wet stone flavors enlivened by harmonious acidity. Really stains the palate on the finish. This has grand cru weight and length.

Puligny Montrachet "Caillerets" 2001 91(+?)

Pineapple, minerals and spicy oak on the nose. Distinctly drier and less plump than the Clos Saint-Marc, but still offers excellent volume and length for the vintage. Grapefruit and mineral flavors are a bit youthfully severe but linger impressively on the subtle aftertaste. This is to drink after the Chassagne Caillerets, says Pillot.

Chevalier Montrachet 2001 93

Highly aromatic, soil-inflected nose of grapefruit and petrol; reminded me of a Riesling Schlossberg from Albert Mann. Then velvety and dense in the middle but light on its feet, with sharply delineated grapefruit and pineapple flavors. Finishes with superb verve, grip and stony persistence.

September 15, 2003

Montagny "Les Gouresses" 2001 88

There's oak character here, but it's well-integrated with the apple, lemon and mineral flavors, adding up to a satisfying young white. Lively and elegant, it has persistence and an aftertaste of toasted brioche. Drink now through 2007. (BS)

Puligny Montrachet "Les Noyers Brets" 2001 88

Distinctive, with smoke, green apple skin, honey, vanilla bean and mineral flavors, medium-bodied, it tastes very dry, which is OK, but it lacks a bit of fat texture on the finish. Best from 2004 through 2008. (PM)

Chassagne Montrachet 2001 88

Beautiful intensity of mineral, ripe fruit, dried and fresh (basil, dill) herbs. Not a very complex wine, but what fun! And plenty of honey on the finish. Drink now through 2008. (PM)

Sept/Oct 2002

With very irregular ripeness in 2001, it was necessary to do a better job of selection, to pick only in ripe spots," said Jean-Marc Pillot, who told me that he produced between 45 and 50 hectoliters per hectare in most of his premier cru vineyards. Ultimately, he added, the 2001s are a bit riper than the 2000s. Pillot did long, cool fermentations using only wild yeasts followed by a "rapid but strong" decanting of the wine. As the wines were richer and lower in acidity than those of 2000, he felt that less batonnage was called for. The village wines in particular, Pillot added, are for drinking before the '00s due to their softer acidity. But the pHs in 2001 were healthy even if the acids were on the low side, Pillot maintains. This continues to be one of the best sources for modern-style Chassagne-Montrachet; the finished 2000s are among the stronger wines of the appellation.

Saint Romain Blanc 2001 85-88

Spicy oak, apple and lemon, as well as a hint of exotic fruits, on the slightly disjointed nose. Sweet but bright in the mouth, with more sweetness to buffer its acidity than Pillot comparatively bracing Montagny Gouresses, which came from hailed-on fruit. Rather lacy for a wine from this appellation.

Meursault 2001 85-88

(from 30-year-old vines in Les Tillets) Peach, apple, white flowers, spicy oak and caramel on the nose. Shows good fat and texture, but is ultimately a wine of moderate intensity. Acids are on the low side, but the finish reveals a slightly tart character.

Chassagne Montrachet 2001 87-90

Pure, aromatic nose of white flowers, quinine and sweet oak. Sweet, dense and rich, with nicely integrated acidity giving shape to the wine flesh. Flavor of quince. Concentrated and layered for village wine.

Puligny Montrachet 2001 86-88

High-toned nose dominated by resiny oak. Juicy and fairly intense, with lemon and peach flavors compromised by a faint oaky dryness. Or is this simply hardened today by the sulfur? Still rather tightly wound and not yet showing its personality.

Chassagne Montrachet "Macharelles" 2001 88-90

Lemon, spice and mint on the nose. Nicely ripe and textured but also offers an enticingly cool, minty intensity. This has lovely sweetness and considerable fat, not to mention very good length. Along with the Morgeot, this is the sweetest 2001 in the cave, with about two grams per liter of residual sugar.

Chassagne Montrachet "Champs Gain" 2001 88-92

(not yet racked) Leesy, exotic aromas of pineapple, peach and nuts. Bright, dense and tactile, with an intriguing flavor of wild strawberry. An impressively thick wine of strong material, but a bit spiky with acidity today, and thus youthfully disjointed. Finishes long, ripe and strong.

Chassagne Montrachet "Vergers" 2001 89-91

Reticent nose hints at mint and oak. Then fat, round and full in the mouth, with lovely density and sucrosity. Not particularly expressive today but boasts impressive richness of texture.

Chassagne Montrachet "Baudines" 2001 89-92

Extroverted, perfumed nose of lemon, flowers and nuts. Fat, sweet, full and harmonious. Nicely ripe wine whose hint of finishing bitterness should be ameliorated by a racking.

Chassagne Montrachet "Chenevottes" 2001 90-93

(not racked) Pure, subtle aromas of vineyard peach and mango. Chewy and thick but silky, with lovely ripe acids giving the flavors excellent verve and lift. Beautifully balanced wine. Very subtle, mounting finish really refreshes the palate with lemon and saline traces. Leaves a lingering floral perfume in the empty glass. Offers a lovely combination of fat and finesse. The calcaire-rich Chenevottes, along with Vergers, brought the soundest acids in 2001, noted Pillot.

Chassagne Montrachet "Morgeot" 2001 90-92

Very ripe but fresh aromas of honey and oak, with a distinct suggestion of small red berries. Rich, thick and ripe, with nicely integrated acids and a flavor of pineapple. Less subtle than the Chenevottes but concentrated, strong and long. The pineapple flavor carries through on the finish.

Chassagne Montrachet "Clos Saint-Marc" 2001 91-94

(Pillot second vintage from these 70-year-old vines from a monopole within Vergers, the rest of which is owned by Olivier Leflaive and Domaine Genot-Boulanger) Complex floral, leesy, nutty aromas of noteworthy subtlety. Superconcentrated and powerful but also quite lush and silky, with captivating smoke, wet stone and citrus flavors nicely framed by ripe acids. Really chewy and palate-staining, but also quite fine. Offers superb potential.

Chassagne Montrachet "Caillerets" 2001 90-92

(from millerandÈ grapes) Precise aromas of lemon, minerals and flowers. High-pitched and tight, showing less body today than most of the foregoing samples. This is difficult to taste directly after the Clos Saint-Marc. But aromatic and pure in the mouth, with an uncompromisingly dry, lemony finish.

Puligny Montrachet "Caillerets" 2001 91-93

(aging in 60% new oak) Peach and smoky oak on the nose. Fat, dense and sweet, but with a steely spine. In a drier Puligny style ("more violent" was how Pillot described it), and likely to require several years of bottle aging. Finishes firm, subtle and very long, with an impression of dryness and firm acidity.

Chevalier Montrachet 2001 92-95

(this just finished its sugar fermentation and was not yet sulfited) Knockout nose combines almost confectionery fruit notes of lemon cream, apricot and banana with hints of lees and sulfides. Extremely rich and dense; really fills the mouth with smoky, minerally fruit. Very silky and suave wine with glorious grand cru texture, class and persistence.

Puligny Montrachet 2000 87

High-pitched, exotic aromas of stone fruits and peach skin. Sweet, spicy flavors of peach and nectarine framed by firm acidity and a steely edge. Classically dry Puligny village wine.

Chassagne Montrachet 2000 88(+?)

Deeply pitched aromas of smoke, toasted bread and menthol. Offers good cut and purity, with lovely inner-mouth perfume. Ripe acids give this fairly dense village wine excellent structure. Finishes firm and persistent. Still quite youthful.

Chassagne Montrachet "Vergers" 2000 90(+?)

Reticent aromas of peach and flowers. Firm-edged, intense flavors of citrus fruits, stone and minerals, perfectly framed by brisk acidity. Complicated by a flinty quality. This has density and persistence. Finishes with a lovely lingering peach blossom perfume. Pillot recommends pouring this wine into a carafe prior to serving it due to its solid acidity.

Chassagne Montrachet "Morgeot" 2000 91

Peach, coconut and spicy oak on the nose. Fat and spicy, with firm but nicely integrated acids framing the intense peach and lemon peel flavors and leavening the wine excellent volume. Brisk finish features very good thrust. This should develop nicely in bottle and last well.

Chassagne Montrachet "Caillerets" 2000 91+

Very pale color. Classy, vineyard-typical aromas of white flowers, pear, lime and minerals. Tightly wound and uncompromisingly dry, with brisk, precise citrus and stone flavors and superb cut. Finishes very long, subtle and austere, with a late flavor of white grapefruit. One for the cellar.

Chassagne Montrachet "Clos Saint-Marc" 2000 93(+?)

Musky, minerally aromas of quinine, smoke and sulfides. A wine of great verve and fruit intensity: urgent, thick and powerful, with superb depth of citrus and mineral flavors and an extremely long, palate-staining aftertaste. Like an elixir of chardonnay. Finishes with superb grip and thrust. "The best wine I've made yet," says Pillot, who is replanting half of his 10 oeuvrees in this site and will begin to use the young vines in 2003. At the quality level of a top grand cru.

Jul/Aug 2001

Jean-Marc Pillot held off on the 2000 white wine harvest until September 18, and told me his chardonnay fruit gained a good one-and-a-half degrees of potential alcohol over the last weekend. Even so, the fruit had slightly less sugar than in the previous year, with a bit more acidity. The 2000s may be a bit less fleshy and round than Pillot's '99s, but they are concentrated and classy wines, with clearly expressed terroir character and harmonious wood treatment. This has become one of the top sources of Chassagne-Montrachet in recent years.

Saint Romain 2000 88 - 89

Aromas of apricot, lemon and smoky new oak. Good cut and density in the mouth, with spicy, citric flavors. From particularly late-picked grapes. Finishes with good persistence.

Chassagne Montrachet 2000 87 - 89

Pure aromas of candied fruits and flowers. Intensely flavored, pure and dense, with bright acids contributing to the impression of balance. Pillot did a green harvest here for the first time (half of his holding is vines planted in 1988) and says he ultimately produced "half a crop" in 2000. Finishes with very good length and shape. A highly promising village wine.

Puligny Montrachet 2000 86 - 89

Peach, smoke and grilled nuts on the nose. Fatter and drier than the Chassagne villages; creamier and suppler but also more reserved today. Lively minerality contributes to the impression of dryness and grip.

Chassagne Montrachet "Macharelles" 2000 87 - 90

Pit fruit and floral aromas. Fat and sweet with good balance and texture and moderate acidity. Doesn't have quite the depth of Pillot's other premier crus from Chassagne-Montrachet.

Chassagne Montrachet "Champs Gain" 2000 88 - 91

Superripe aromas of musky dried fruits and smoke. Fat and full, but dry and classic, with enough acidity to give the wine shape and grip. From very ripe, millerandÈ grapes. Quite long on the back end.

Chassagne Montrachet "Morgeot" 2000 89 - 91

(predominantly old vines in the climat Les Fairendes; Pillot begins his white wine harvest with these precocious vines to retain vivacity); Lively, perfumed aromas of hay and white flowers. Juicy, fresh flavors of yellow fruits and spicy oak. Very nicely balanced and quite persistent.

Chassagne Montrachet "Vergers" 2000 89 - 92

(from rented 50-year-old vines, Pillot"s oldest along with Chenevottes): Slightly reduced nose dominated by peach blossom. Gently persistent flavors of peach, minerals and spices; not obviously super concentrated but has sneaky intensity and lovely balance. Finishes with excellent persistence and refreshing snap.

Chassagne Montrachet "Baudines" 2000 89 - 91

(Pillot purchases grapes): Fresh peach, apple, lime honey and minerals on the nose; this struck me as rather Puligny-like. Juicy and quite firm but not as skinny; a cooler style of Chassagne, with strong mineral backbone. Quite penetrating. This is in 50% new oak, compared to about 30% for most of the other premier crus, but it does not seem excessively oaky.

Chassagne Montrachet "Chenevottes" 89 - 92

Deeply pitched but reticent aromas of citrus skin, herbs and smoke. Dense, classy and solidly structured; a lovely balance of ripeness and acidity. Bright flavors of citrus fruits and vineyard peach. Very classy, very Chassagne.

Chassagne Montrachet "Caillerets" 2000 90 - 92

Fresh aromas of pear blossom and lichee. Fat, dense and mouthfilling; at once full and quite dry, with lowish acidity. These vines are picked on the late side for full ripeness. Very suave wine,with subtle persistence and some finishing spicy notes.

Puligny Montrachet "Caillerets" 2000 89 - 92

Superripe aromas of yellow fruits, honey, petrol, minerals and smoky oak. Concentrated, dryish and penetrating, with firm minerality contributing to the impression of spine. But this also offers lovely sweetness and flavor intensity. Still a bit tightly wrapped today, with firm acids and a long, subtle back end.

Chevalier Montrachet 2000 90 - 93

(aging in all new barrels): Aromas of peach, smoke and minerals. Fat and full but quite dry and sappy, with excellent balancing acidity. This has terrific chewy texture and a very spicy finish. But extremely unevolved today for a 2000: Pillot plans to bottle on the late side.

Chassagne Montrachet 1999 87

Pretty, lively aromas of white peach and spring flowers. Ample and layered in the mouth, with enticing peach and floral flavors. Clean and persistent.

Chassagne Montrachet "Chenevottes" 1999 90

Reticent but very ripe aromas of roasted pear and peach. Silky-sweet on entry, then clean, rich and detailed in the middle palate. Lovely fat supported by sound acidity (but the 2000 possesses a bit more acid). A distinct step up in concentration and texture from the village wine. Finishes long and firm.

Chassagne Montrachet "Morgeot" 1999 89

Ripe peach, honey, herbs and smoke on the complex nose. Fat, sweet and mouthfiling, with plenty of class. But doesn't offer quite the clarity of flavor of the Chenevottes. Long and dry on the back end.

Chassagne Montrachet "Caillerets" 1999 92

Complex aromas of peach, honey and smoke. Full, dry and quite suave, with lovely inner-mouth fruits and material. Really builds on the back end. This classy premier cru really calls for three or four years of additional bottle aging and should age slowly and gracefully.