Pierre Paillard

For many years I would visit the Champagne tastings in April and find myself skimming over the wines of Pierre Paillard and not feeling a connection. Then about 2 years ago I started to notice, what for me was, a change. The wines appeared to show a touch more focus, a little more excitement. I was at the time not sure what this was down to. I understand my palate may have changed a bit. But also, Antoine and Quentin, who took over from their father, were just started to see the fruits of their production.
They work with 11 hectares solely in Bouzy, with a break down of 70/30 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay (they are looking to increase Pinot Noir planting). Most of their production is vinified in steel but they are experimenting, with certain plots, in concrete, ceramic and terracotta.
They produce a pure, mineral driven wine with plenty of tension. All their wines have a lovely soft and caressing mousse. Due to their reductive production methods ie no oak, the wines can feel a touch strict and lean to start off with but allow them some time in the glass and they develop a beautiful roundness and richness.
Les Parcelles is their Brut NV. Titled with a year next to it, representing the base vintage, it is a 60/40 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay blend of most of their vineyards.
They produce two single vineyard wines, always vintage; Les Maillerettes and Les Mottelettes.
Les Maillerettes is pure Pinot Noir from their tiny holdings (0.3 hectares) in Les Maillerettes vineyard planted in 1971. Pure chalk sits 50cm beneath a topsoil of clay. The wine shows a beautiful expression of fruit, so elegant, with a superb dried fruit finish. Strict but a fabulous expression of Pinot Noir from Bouzy.
Les Mottelettes, found in the bottom of Bouzy, is pure Chardonnay. The vineyard sits on 30cm of clay then pure chalk. There is a lovely clean crisp nose and a delivery of fat, round Chardonnay. So different to the wines from the Cote de Blancs and so delicious for it.
Their Rose, Les Terres Roses, is a blend of 70/30 Chardonnay/Pinot Noir with 6% added red wine. It is made from predominantly one year which it shows on the front label ie 12. A lovely delicate pink hue delivers a more playful and forward fruit. The bottle tasted was a 2012 base which showed impressive acidity and a creamy weight.
La Grand Recolte 2006 is still the labours of their father. Although this particular vintage is as Antoine stated, a little bit more in the style they are looking to increase the weighting of Pinot Noir. Made from 35 year old vines it is a 50/50 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay blend. It is charming with a lovely mature weight to it but definitely heckles from a different production style. I will be interested to see what happens as the Pinot Noir percentage is increased and we see vintages like 2008 and 2012!
Stop press…on my last visit to Pierre Paillard I found myself sitting in front of a red wine. Les Mignottes 2012. A Bouzy Rouge made from the vineyard in it’s name. Pure 2012. It was so damn delicious I actually bought a few bottles. The first red wine I have bought in Champagne ever. EVER!

I sense very good things in the future from this producer Bouzy. I can’t wait!