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Declassified Chassagne-Montrachet for a song! From 4th generation vigneron Jean-Marc Pillot
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2020 Jean-Marc Pillot Bourgogne Blanc
Le Haut des Champs
Burgundy, France


I was tasting some new releases from renowned importer Neal Rosenthal with my brother last week and while all of the samples were consistently good, there was one bottle that stopped both of us in our tracks. We actually both started giggling in disbelief. Nick actually questioned if vigneron Jean-Marc Pillot had mislabeled this wine and mistakenly glued an entry-level Bourgogne label on his Chassagne-Montrachet "Les Masures". I literally couldn't put my order in fast enough to secure all of this juice! With the state of Burgundy where it is, and prices continuing to soar, it was remarkable to taste such quality wine under for under $30, but hey.... if someone could do it, it would be 4th generation vigneron Jean-Marc Pillot and Neal Rosenthal. Deals like this from the most dynamic wine region in the world don't just come knocking on your door very often. You typically have to overpay for quality. 

The domaine is dominated by its production of white wines as the family's holdings are mostly in Chassagne-Montrachet. Their flagship wines are Premier Cru whites but it's this entry level "declassified Chassagne-Montrachet" labeled "Bourgogne" that is the diamond in the rough. Every article and Burgundy report that I've read is touting Pillot as the "Most Improved" winemaker in Burgundy. Apparently when he took over the helm, the wines at Pillot were slightly over-oaked but Jean-Marc has corrected that overtime and catapulted the family into legendary status; especially for his white wines. 

The 2020 establishes the base-line for the generous, open style adopted by Jean-Marc Pillot. The wine passes its elevage in stainless steel tanks to preserve its freshness, then it's bottled exactly twelve months from the date of the harvest. The result is an energetic wine with broad shoulders and dense texture rivaling some of the best fruit that Chassagne-Montrachet can produce. The nose is slightly reductive with flinty matchstick notes that will seduce even the most devoted Burgundy lovers. Intense citrus notes with pear, sour green apple and Meyer lemon zest. More aromas of candle smoke and freshly baked bread do more than just force salivation. It's medium-bodied, satiny and layered, deep and concentrated. The racy acids and chalky structuring are exactly what one looks for in fine white Burgundy. There's a pleasurable "crunchy", phenlolic aspect to the wine that reminds me of eating high-quality aged Gouda cheese or Parmigiano-Reggiano when the tiny, crystal-like bits seem to crackle in your teeth. The ultimate burst of umami and this wine epitomizes it. More layers begin to unravel as the wine opens and you're left in bewilderment as more sultry lemon and honey butter, crunchy radish, limestone chalk and sea salt emerge towards the finish. Such gracious power and finesse'. It's really really hard to put this one down. The finish is dry and mineral-laced to help wipe the oily texture away for just a split second. Butterscotch and citronella will escort you to the bottom of the glass. I rarely write about White Burgundy (even though it's my favorite wine to drink) because frankly, it's hard to find value here. This hidden gem deserves something fancy like homemade pasta stuffed with local ricotta and dowsed in salty, French butter and black truffles. Luxury personified!
This is such a wonderful example of what Chardonnay can be. It's not a heavy, gloopy pile of melted popcorn butter and wood chips. It's not your grandmother's by-the-glass, golden goblet. In fact this wine is world-class and an amazing example of Burgundy terroir and how it shows itself through the wine. Mouthwatering, complex, and precise. We only have 15 cases of this EXTREME value so please act quickly otherwise my brother, Nick may buy it all himself. 

*Extremely Limited Production
ONLY 200 CASES


Shelf Price: $39.99



6pk Price: $192


Case Price: $360
(only $30 per bottle)
Mike O'Connell Jr. 
Third Generation Expert Purveyor of
Fine Wines & Spirits
@ Upper Falls Liquors, Newton


*Post Road Liquors
*Needham Wine & Spirits
*Auburndale Wine & Spirits
*Not submitted for ratings

*Extremely Limited Production
ONLY 200 CASES



Shelf Price: $39.99




6pk Price: $192



Case Price: $360
(only $30 per bottle)


 
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