“Boillot makes white and red wine with equal facility, and with equally impressive results. Few people are thus gifted, it is like being ambidextrous.”
Raymond Blake – Wine Writer
Now assisted by his daughter Lydie and his son Benjamin, Jean-Marc Boillot set up his own domaine in 1985, having previously been making wine for Olivier Leflaive frères. He started with some rented vines in Pommard, adding Volnay and Pommard from his Grand-father’s side in 1988 and the whites, a one-third share of Domaine Etienne Sauzet, from his grand-mother in 1991. Including generic Burgundy, the domaine now exploits 11 hectares, five reds and six whites.
All the whites, except the grand cru, are vinified in the same way; whole-bunch pressed, settled for 24 hours then straight to barrel with 25-30% new wood lees-stirring once a week and bottling before the next harvest. They are pure, fresh, attractive wines.
The reds are entirely destalked, given a cool soak before fermentation begins, after which a mix of punching down and pumping over is used according to the vintage and vineyard. 13 months’ barrel-ageing, with 50% new barrels, is followed by a further 6 months maturation in tank before bottling. The reds show a bright combination between fruit and barrel: good for medium-term ageing.
The cultivation of the vine is carried out according to strong principles: maximum density of feet to provoke a healthy competition, plowing to avoid the superficial roots and favoring those which dig deeper, manual and whole harvest.
