2014 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Vergers 1er Cru

Although rain in August triggered some grey rot, Pillot started harvesting on September 12 “with sun and beautiful weather.” The last shower before the harvest fell on September 9, he told me. Pillot compares his 2014s to his 2010s, “but with more flesh. Two thousand fourteen is the greatest vintage of my career." His premier crus yielded a bit less crop than average, but production at the village level was normal for him, at about 50 hectoliters per hectare. Pillot’s 2014s carry very firm acidity in the range of 4.5 to 5 grams per liter and should evolve gracefully in bottle.

Pillot had a "correct" crop in 2014, with yields generally a bit higher in Puligny-Montrachet, but he noted that the grapes did not have a lot of juice. And as he has been pulling leaves since 2007 in search of better ventilation of the fruit, he's also been getting thicker skins. Potential alcohol levels in 2014 were between 12.5% and 13% and Pillot told me that he only chaptalized those cuvées that began at less than 12.8%. He feels that his 2014s are very similar to his 2010s in their tautness and accurate terroir character. But he believes that his 2013s are fuller-bodied than his '14s after having gained in flesh during their last months of elevage; he also predicts that they will not shut down in bottle, as his gentle gravity bottling does not stress his wines.