Pierre Paillard: The Great Terroir of Bouzy Grand Cru
One of the highlights of any trip to Champagne for me is a stop to see my old friend Quentin Paillard in Bouzy. We have been working together for more than a decade, and, in that time, he and his brother Anotine have taken this house to the top level of grower Champagne. Their goal is simple—to make terroir-driven Champagne from their old, massal-selected vines in Bouzy. This cru is renowned in Champagne for its powerful Pinot Noir that, at its best, does not lose its refreshing cut and clean minerality. In Quentin and Antoine’s hands, this cru is truly at its best.
We tasted the 2021 vin clair together first. This was one of the most challenging years for the growers in recent history, and certainly the most difficult of my 22 years of going to Champagne. His 2021s were very good—if very few, as the crop was tiny after all the challenges of the growing season. He compared the wines to 2016, and I agreed with him. They are a little softer than that vintage as a group, but, at Paillard, rich, flavorful and textural.
Afterwards we tasted the range, plus a few surprises. Currently, we have in stock their excellent Pierre Paillard Les Parcelles XVII, which is one of the best under $50 bottles of Champagne in the store. It is composed of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, all from their 28-acre estate, and exclusively from massal-selected vines. The vinous power of this wine, all from fruit grown on south-facing slopes, is balanced by clean, chalky minerality and very low dosage—less than two grams per liter. This wine has a subtle baguette toast and solid, savory, black cherry Pinot Noir character. It goes fabulously with smoked salmon starters as well as on its own for the aperitif.
I hope you will try it while we still have it… Sadly, we can never get enough of these great wines, but luckily, they always come back.
A toast to you!