Domaine Pillot

Burgundy's Côte Chalonnaise, south of Beaune grows the same grape varieties as in the famous Côte d'Or - Pinot Noir for red and Chardonnay for white - and constitutes one of the finest wine-growing areas of Burgundy, yet few people have ever heard of it. Unlike the Côte d'Or, where the geological fault line producing the famous escarpment is regular, the fault lines in the Côte Chalonnaise run in different directions, and, driving through the region - it is only 25km long and 7km wide - you will notice how the vines are interspersed with other crops.

When we first discovered the Côte Chalonnaise more than 15 years ago, it was our search for good red burgundy at sensible prices that led us here - we were following Hugh Johnson's advice that "both the red and white growths of the Côte Chalonnaise can be good value for money". It is even truer today than it was then. However, we fell in love not only with its wines, but also with its friendly, down-to-earth people, and it remains one of our favourite areas. We have made many friends here, and the wines are still, amazingly, great value for money.

Mercurey is the most important appellation in the Côte Chalonnaise, and the style of its wines depends on the exact site of each vineyard. Some of the premiers crus that lie on a subsoil of deep marl give very structured wines that need many years' ageing. Elsewhere the soil is drier and stonier and the wines are subtler and have considerable elegance and finesse.

Our winemakers at Domaine Pillot, charming brothers Jean-Michel and Laurent, were introduced to us by friends who live nearby. They produce three top-quality red burgundies for Partners, two of which are exclusive.