Blog » Cote de Beaune
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Côte de Beaune Sleeper: Pierre Guillemot
There are fewer and fewer places to turn for great-value red Burgundy, though they exist if you know where to look. One such place is Savigny-lès-Beaune, situated between Corton and Beaune. Here, Pinot Noir is often pegged as only light-bodied and perfumed, but longtime producers like Pierre Guillemot quickly prove otherwise.
Wines from this domaine not only have intensity but incredible aging capabilities. Even the entry-level Bourgogne Rouge will hold for decades, as wine critic William Kelley attested in his latest review. This bottling comes from a parcel spanning the Bourgogne, Savigny, and Chorey appellations. The 1er Cru Aux Serpentières, from the northeast side of Savigny’s slope, is Guillemot’s most age-worthy cuvée (If you can resist drinking it upon release). For those visiting Burgundy, the domaine is generously known for pouring 30-to-50-year-old bottles to prove this point.
The Guillemots have farmed vines in Savigny for eight generations, and today, Pierre’s sons, Vincent and Philippe, continue to produce top-tier wines that transcend the appellation. There’s little more to be said, except this is red Burgundy that consistently delivers. We’ve stocked up on the 2020 vintage and, at this pricing, highly suggest that you do the same. Pierre Guillemot is a quintessential producer to know from the Kermit Lynch portfolio!Shop Pierre Guillemot
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White Burgundy Classic: 2019 Boisson
Bernard, Anne, and Pierre Boisson are the best-kept secret in Burgundy's Côte de Beaune. Mainly enjoyed by a dedicated following in France, the wines exported to the US often end up on the wine lists at restaurants, such as The French Laundry and Eleven Madison Park. Weekly hang-out sessions with Bernard while studying at the University of Dijon in early 2012 put these wines on my radar.
The family's friendship with Domaine Coche-Dury most definitely impacts the style here, having that magical touch of reduction that many try to emulate, with few finding similar success. Here, it's executed brilliantly, offering a flinty and saturating mineral quality matched with deep texture, concentration, and length. Much like Coche-Dury, the Boisson Bourgogne Blancs transcend the humble designation, all coming from vines located within Meursault.
The Meursault cuvées are where this domaine reaches its pinnacle. However, a dark horse in the lineup may be the En Reugne Blanc. Auxey Duresses has been dubbed "Baby Meursault" before, but this top bottling outperforms much of what's found in Meursault. Also, Anne's Aligoté offers a transformative experience that elicits Leroy and Coche at a serious fraction of the price.
Now that Bernard has retired, this release marks the third vintage exclusively labeled under Anne and Pierre. They work in the same cellar "separately though cooperatively," Bernard told William Kelley on his most recent visit, "and vinify in their own way." In general, new oak is limited to 30% maximum, with Bourgogne-level wines at 5% to 10%. The wines then see long aging with no battonage, and their family-farmed land has been free of pesticides and herbicides for generations.Shop Boisson Wines
