Wines
Summary
Pierre Paillard is a small grower‐producer located in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy. Since Antoine Paillard bought vineyards there in 1768, the family has been cultivating vines in Bouzy ever since. Today, the brothers Antoine and Quentin Paillard represent the eighth generation in the family and the fourth generation to produce, and bottle the wines under their family name.
Paillard’s vineyards are divided into 28 parcels comprising 11 hectares in total, all in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy. Despite Bouzy’s identity as a pinot noir village, chardonnay accounts for 40% of the Paillard holdings. Quentin and Antoine’s grandfather had already planted a high proportion of chardonnay, so they continue with Chardonnay which “brings freshness and liveliness to our wines.” The average age of the estate’s vineyards is 30 years, with older parcels dating from 1956.
For the Paillards, viticulture is their main focus, so they take a non certified organic farming approach. They haven’t used fertilizers or pesticides for the past 20 years, and all parcels have been planted with cover crops for the last ten to fifteen years.
For the vinification, each plot is harvested and vinified separately in stainless steel vats. Fermentation is carried out at lower temperatures to retain the aromatics and the wines are kept in tank on their fine lees until the spring. Then starts a long process of tasting and blending. This is a unique moment shared only by the winemakers of the House (Benoît, Antoine and Quentin). Each plot is tasted, marked and commented upon until each person has a perfect feel for the profile of the year. Tests and blind tastings continue until the final choice: The creation of each cuvée. In June they are put into bottle for the second fermentation and kept in their 19th century cellars for a minimum of 3 years and as much as 10 years before being disgorged.