Domaine Lucien Boillot
Pierre Boillot may not be a winemaker’s name that springs to mind. The Boillot family probably does. His great-grandfather was the famous Henri Boillot from Volnay, in the Côte de Beaune. Pierre inherited his domaine from his father Lucien, whose name it still carries. Pierre worked together with his brother Louis for years, but a few years ago they parted ways and split up the family estate.
Pierre has been running the Lucien Boillot estate in Gevrey Chambertin since 2003 and it covers 7 hectares (17.5 acres) of prime appellations from both the Côte de Nuits (Nuits- St-Georges, Gevrey-Chambertin, Bourgogne Pinot Noir) and the Côte de Beaune (Puligny-Montrachet, Volnay, Pommard) and has the VERY RARE SKILL to make beautiful wines from both districts!
Another reason that you may not have heard of Pierre Boillot is that 85% of his wine is exported!! Added to this, more and more Burgundy purists are lining-up for a share of his wines, making it even more difficult to obtain…and then there’s only about 35,000 bottles (3000 cases) produced each year.
Since taking over the winery in 2003, Pierre has undertaken a rigorous revitalizing of the soils and vines in all of his vineyards. He inherited very old vines from his father in the Côtes de Nuits and from his great-grandfather Henri Boillot, in the Côtes de Beaune. It’s an understatement to say that many of his vineyards are under-appreciated treasures: Volnay Les Angles, which was originally classified as one of the top premier cru sites in Volnay in the 19th century, Pommard Croix Noires right below Rugiens, Gevrey Cherbaudes right next to Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru and Gevrey Corbeaux right next to Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru. Every wine is a classic representation of its appellation–from Volnay and Pommard to Gevrey and Nuits-Saint-Georges.
A sample of some of the wines tasted.
Gevrey Chambertin village 2018
A nose marked by notes of blackcurrant and cherry so characteristic of a Gevrey-Chambertin. The palate confirms the richness and intensity of great Pinot Noir, with excellent structure and balance. An expressive and harmonious wine from its very first years.
Volnay 1er Cru Les Angles 2018
A volnay 1er Cru with a floral nose and hints or red fruit. A well-structure, refined palate with just that hint of complexity in the finish.
Volnay 1er Cru Les Brouillards 2018
A nose with notes of raspberry, blackberry, and little white flowers… A very refined, elegant palate with soft, well-blended tannins, and beautiful harmony on the whole. A very, very lovely cuvée
We didn’t get to try the Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Perrières or le Pinot Beurot. He promised us some for our next visit.
Pierre’s whole philosophy is geared towards transparent, terroir-driven wines of purity and finesse, but he can also produce those rich, plump, lusciousness reds too. Our visit and tasting would probably rank amongst one of the best. Pierre’s kindness and enthusiasm is contagious. He knows how to carry an audience and his explanations of his wine-making practices should be written in manuals for all budding wine students. The wines too were delicious.
Vosne Tasting Club will soon be presenting some of Pierre’s wines for tasting.
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