Tasting Notes - Paul Pillot Bourgogne Chardonnay 2005

Region: Cote De Beaune (Burgundy)
Appellation: Bourgogne Blanc

Solid ingredients here; 20 year old average vine age, 30% new oak, 12 months bottle age at the winery. Fruit is sourced from the village of Remigny, located about 7km south from the famous chardonnay Grand Cru village of Chassagne-Montrachet.

It's always interesting to evaluate French cheapies in the context of the local market. This wine isn't particularly cheap at $29 yet you would be able to pick it up easily for under $18 in the US. But, as hopefully the tasting note reveals, it's a style you find hard to track down if limiting your search to Australian producers.

Some bottle stink early but it soon blows off. Nose is settled and subdued, and as a result doesn't give much away apart from from some obvious citrus fruits. Citrus drives the palate, at least early on, but the oak impact grows as the wine warms up. It never intrudes, rather it does a good job of thickening the palate and lending weight to the wine. Creamy, rich and ripe finish. I found this wine really interesting as it married delicate citrus, almost Chablis-like flavours, with a more typical Burgundian structure that absorbs some oak. There's an almost welcome absence of tropical fruit. Value, as always, is another question, and I'm not sure most drinkers would put this wine ahead of a similarly priced and seriously structured Chardonnay from Margaret River or the Yarra Valley.