Domaine Billard Père et Files Chassagne Montrachet "Les Morichots" 2021

Alcohol: 13%

Grape(s): Pinot Noir

Localisation: Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France

Tasting Notes: This Chassagne opens with a juicy palette of red fruits. A few notes of aging on the nose indicate its passage in barrels. On the palate, it presents a rich and elegant substance. Structured, this Chassagne has all the assets to age well. To decant if drunk young.

Notes: Les Morichots is located in the lower part of the appellation and has a soil that is particularly rich in iron and flint, giving the wine a distinctive minerality. The vines in the Billard’s parcel have an average age of 45 years. The wine is fermented in cement tanks at low temperatures with a daily punching down of the cap. The wine is then matured in oak barrels for 9/10 months. Typically, 20% of the barrels are new.

The Domain: Domaine Billard has approximately 12.5 hectares of vineyards in different appellations throughout the Cotes de Beaune. Their largest holdings are in the Hautes Cotes de Beaune, with other small plots located in Saint Romain, Saint Aubin 1er Cru, Auxey Duresses, and Beaune. The Domaine passed from father to son recently and Jérôme Billard has brought a new philosophy to his family Domaine. Farming is done with respect for nature and follows the principles of organic farming. Yields are kept low through the use of cover crops and severe pruning and all the vines are harvested by hand. Only indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation.

When the Domaine passed from father to son, Jérôme Billard brought a new philosophy with him. The farming practices changed to eliminate chemicals, rebalance the soils and follow the principles of organic farming. Jerome hired a specialist to work a few of their vineyards with a horse, and in 2019, after seeing the results, the Billards purchased their own horse, which enabled them to expand the number of vineyards they work without a tractor.

In contrast to his father, who sold his wine to the local cooperative, Jérôme developed a market for his wines, and estate bottles his entire production.