Chassagne Montrachet Clos Saint Jean Rouge Paul Pillot 2023

There is real finesse here, but also a darker, more savoury personality than you might expect from Paul Pillot’s celebrated whites. The 2023 opens with red cherry, wild raspberry and cranberry, gradually revealing violet, dried rose and a subtle earthy spice. On the palate the fruit feels wonderfully lucid, carried by fine, tensile tannins rather than weight. Notes of pepper, woodland and crushed stone appear as the wine develops, while bright acidity gives the whole thing an energetic, almost weightless quality. The finish is persistent and mineral, with red fruit slowly giving way to spice and a gentle savoury grip.

Clos Saint-Jean is one of Chassagne-Montrachet’s historic Premier Cru sites and has a particularly strong reputation for Pinot Noir, despite the village now being better known for Chardonnay. Thierry Pillot’s approach is ideally suited to revealing that heritage, favouring freshness, restrained extraction and sensitive élevage over power or excessive oak. In the 2023 vintage, that produces a red Burgundy of remarkable clarity: already aromatic and inviting, but with enough structure beneath the surface to evolve beautifully. A compelling reminder that serious red Chassagne deserves considerably more attention.