This is the best BB I’ve tasted in recent memory (especially for the price $48). For those who gravitate to regions like the Willamette Valley or Sonoma based on the proposition that there is no value left in Burgundy, and that Burgundy presents no QPR - try this wine. At $45 - $50 this wrecks about 95% of new world Chardonnays for my pallet, and the ones that may out perform likely cost 30 - 100% more.
Subtle reduction, expensive oak, sesame, toasted almond, lemon oil and white flowers on the nose - WOW! This totally has that sexy burg nose that I associate with very high end White Burgundy. Citrus rind, green apple followed by layers of salty acids on the palate with a ridiculous amount of chalky dry extract for a BB that simmers on the finish. A truly stunning example of how good a BB from a top producer can be.
This producer makes nice BB and other wines too. Have you tried the Bachelet-Monnot BB? At $39 the last time I bought it…it was punching way above it’s weight class, and tasted side by side with the Puligny from the same producer & vintage it held it’s own at less than half the price of the Puligny.
Nice review!..Have you ever tried Dominique Lafon BB? I had a bottle recently that was superb, and around the same price as the Pillot…I was wondering how they compare
Honestly I have not had any of the “Dominique Lafon” wines, but Domaine des Comtes Lafon is one of my all time favorite Domaines, so I will add this to my list. I’ve been drinking my higher end stuff a little too frequently lately, so I’m on a mission to find some better cellar defenders.
I’ve been buying the “other” Pillot for a few years now. Surprised to see that some of his cuvées have run away in price. I love the Romanée and CSJ along with the Caillerets.
I should definitely give JM Pillot a shot. Seems like a number people on the board like the wines.
Paul Pillot’s La Romanee, Cailleret, and Ruchottes have seen pretty high scores from William Kelley and Jasper Morris. Unfortunately that seems to correlate with secondary market pricing. Based on the BB these are definitely my style of wines though, and although expensive they are not stratospheric by any means. I have some 2017 La Romanee that I’m looking forward to popping at some point next year.
I actually meant Paul as the “other” Pillot because JM has traditionally been more well known. JM’s wines are good also, but their pricing especially for the whites have been elevated for a few years now.
I actually buy more reds from both Pillots than whites. The value there is very good for the quality.
Thierry makes wines from the family owned vineyard’s which are labeled Paul Pillot.He also makes wines in his own name from purchased grapes. Maybe a few exceptions.
Alvina Pernot wines are usually double the price of Paul Pernot. Paul Pernot Puligny 1er crus can be found for under $100.
non-commercial post: I represented this grower for four decades:
Domaine Michel Goubard Bourgogne Blanc ‘Montavril’ Cote Chalonnaise
I have probably consumed more of this than any other white Burgundy since I first bought the wine in 1981. Far better than the simple Appellation, with almost Chablis-like acidity.
Thank you for this post! I made this exact argument in the ausnz channel on the WineEP Discord server back mid July. The only difference is I was referring to the '21, not the '22 as I had recently tasted it based off a mate’s recommendation and was really impressed by it.
I just went yesterday and bought the last two '21s off the shelf from my favorite local store, and they now have the '22 in stock as well. I’ll sneak back in and grab a few more!
My comments on Discord were specifically around how my QPR cutoff point for Australian wines is in most cases $50. Anything above that I can most likely source a French, Italian, or German wine for nearly identical pricing that suits my palate more. Obviously there are exceptions, but if I’m being honest there aren’t many.
I’m looking forward to trying the '22 now!