Bourgogne Chardonnay Paul Pillot 2022

There is considerably more ambition here than the Bourgogne classification suggests. The warm 2022 vintage brings ripe pear, white peach and yellow apple to the fore, but Thierry Pillot’s naturally restrained style keeps the wine taut and beautifully defined. Lemon oil, white flowers and a faint struck-match character add lift to the nose, while the palate combines succulent orchard fruit with a fine, creamy texture. Fresh acidity cuts through the vintage’s generosity, revealing hazelnut, citrus peel and crushed stone as the wine develops. The finish is impressively persistent, narrowing towards chalk and salinity rather than simply fading into fruit.

Domaine Paul Pillot is based in Chassagne-Montrachet and, under Thierry Pillot, has become one of the Côte de Beaune’s most sought-after addresses. The same philosophy applied to the domaine’s celebrated village and Premier Cru wines is evident here: restrained élevage, freshness and clarity rather than overt oak or richness. In a ripe year such as 2022, that approach is particularly effective, giving this Bourgogne Chardonnay both immediate generosity and the mineral precision of a wine from considerably further up the hierarchy.