Jean-Marc Pillot Rully Blanc La Chaume 2023

The Land

Rully sits in the Côte Chalonnaise within greater Burgundy, just south of the Côte de Beaune, on a band of fractured limestone and light clays that naturally favors crisp, structured Chardonnay. La Chaume is not a single, delimited vineyard but a named sector in the northern part of Rully, composed of mid-slope parcels with east–southeast exposure and quick-draining soils. This pocket tends to yield fruit with tension and purity, even in warmer, generous vintages like 2023. The Pillot family farms these rows with the same discipline used across their Chassagne holdings: plowed soils, no herbicides, high-density plantings, and careful canopy and crop management through spring and summer. Vines here fall largely in the 25–50-year range, offering enough age for stability without sacrificing energy.

The Wine

The Chardonnay from La Chaume is pressed gently, settled briefly, and fermented with native yeasts. Élevage follows the domaine’s classic white-wine protocol: aging in mostly older barrels with a measured proportion of newer oak depending on the structure of the cuvée—always modest for Rully. The wine remains on fine lees for about a year before being moved to stainless steel for an additional six months to settle naturally without cold stabilization. The 2023 opens with ripe orchard fruit, citrus oil, and floral accents shaped by the warmth of the season, but the limestone core keeps the palate clean and firm. Subtle hazelnut from lees aging deepens the mid-palate, while the finish is direct, saline, and refreshingly taut—an elegant, site-driven take on Rully that honestly is extraordinary.

The People 

The Pillot family oversees one of the most extensive and quietly awesome estates in Chassagne-Montrachet. While the domaine is anchored by its premier cru Chassagne holdings—both white (Baudines, Chenevottes, Macherelles, Vergers, Morgeot, Caillerets, La Maltroie, Champs Gain) and red (Macherelles, Morgeot, Clos Saint-Jean)—its range spans far wider. Parcels in Puligny, Santenay, Meursault, Remigny, and small, carefully chosen outside appellations like Montagny 1er Cru “Les Gouresses” and Saint-Romain “La Perrière” allow the Pillots to explore multiple terroirs with a consistent, traditional approach. Vineyard work includes Cordon de Royat and Guyot Simple training, manual harvests, de-budding, leaf management, and green harvests when needed. In the cellar, white wines receive 10–30% new oak and extended lees aging; reds are fully destemmed and made with daily remontage and pigeage before long, natural settling. Today, Jean-Marc and the next generation, led by Antoine, continue refining a style centered on clarity, authenticity, and meticulous farming—qualities that carry straight into their Rully wines.

Food Pairing:

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast with Lemon–Thyme Pan Sauce (recipe on blog