Bouzy is probably the best village name in all of winedom. And when we talk about it we get to say thing like, "Pierre Paillard is a true Bouzy specialist." What could be better than... Read More

Bouzy is probably the best village name in all of winedom. And when we talk about it we get to say thing like, "Pierre Paillard is a true Bouzy specialist." What could be better than that? Well, fortunately, the wines!

We've featured lots of great Blanc de Blancs Champagnes from the Côte des Blancs, but fewer of Champagnes great Pinot Noir terroirs, like the stunning villages of Ambonnay and Bouzy, which are a mere 700 yards apart on the same slope. Ambonnay is probably the more famous, thanks to Krug's Clos d'Ambonnay. But the Pinot Noir grown in Bouzy is so magical and pure that it's one of the few parts of Champagne that is almost as famous for its still red wine as for its bubbles.

As we said, Pierre Paillard is one of the few true Bouzy specialists. He has about 11 hectares there, mostly Pinot Noir. He farms organically and takes a very classic approach in the winery with the principal aim of promoting freshness: low temperature fermentations, steel tanks, and very low dosage.

The wines therefore have good snap, but with more Pinot than Chardonnay they aren't the taut, chalky things you find further south. Instead, you get sensuousness—even lustiness!—and that mysterious earthy flavor that even hard-core Burgundy fans just can't quite put a finger on.

Paillard is patient and he takes his time aging and releasing his wine. Even the basic "Brut" is made from grapes picked 5+ years ago.