Not At All Boozy in Bouzy - Champagne Pierre Paillard

Refreshing mid-afternoon tasting flight in a rustic setting.

Antoine Paillard was our gracious host at Champagne Pierre Paillard, visit number 2 on day 2.  To underscore the family element in Champagne, Pierre was Antoine’s grandfather. He started up his eponymous house in the 1950s, although the many of the plots have been worked on by the family for 8 generations spanning 250 years.

Antoine, along with his father and brother, keeps everything humming. Speaking of the brothers, as Gary Westby, the generous and knowledgeable Champagne Buyer at K&L Wine Merchants, put it: “If their business ever goes bad, those two could totally have another career as models.” (One could arguably say the same about Gary.)

But what was most compelling about Pierre Paillard is that while it is quite small - it owns 11 hectares total (28 acres) comprising 30 plots - this land is entirely contiguous, and wholly located in Bouzy, a village in the Montagne de Reims region (northeast). With vineyard land prices reaching over 1M euros a hectare in Champagne, having a completely contiguous plot is rare and brings an amazing boon to a maker.

Moreover, Bouzy is a Grand Cru village - the top of the top in quality designation for Champagnes. This means that the plots in Bouzy are deemed to be of excellent terroir, or land. Quality land in turn grows vines that yield high quality grapes, and eventually, Champagnes of great character.

Of course, the way in which humans make decisions in the viticulture (cultivation of vines) and viniculture (making of the wines) can mean the difference between a good and a mind-blowing wine. Notice I didn’t say “the difference between a bad and a mind-blowing wine” because Grand Cru land is supposedly of such high quality that a fairly good wine can still result from mediocre human handling!

With Antoine Paillard, in the light-filled tasting room

Antoine is deeply respectful of the legacy he is working with. The philosophy at Pierre Paillard is not only about sustainability, it’s about terroir: cultivating vines and shaping wines that bring out the best of the land’s character. In contrast, big house Mumm blends its Champagnes from 77 crus (vineyards) around the region. Whuff! With that kind of Champagne-making, “You don’t know what you’re drinking,” Antoine said with a matter-of-fact shake of his head. Clearly he sees this as a sad but all-too-common phenomenon.

At the same time, Antoine is aware of the differences between his house and the big houses. Big houses experience great commercial pressure to create Champagnes of huge volume to meet worldwide demand, with a consistent taste profile. That means formulas - more science than art, so to speak. But this is perhaps the most appropriate approach given their goals (... of world domination! Oh, sorry, did I say that?), and it seems to work for them.

At Champagne Pierre Paillard, Antoine and his family do not have this kind of pressure; they can afford to create their Champagnes carefully as local artisans. Antoine is very passionate about maintaining this philosophy; the house will remain small. Well, unless they buy out other houses’ plots, those 11 hectares are what they’ve got!

Champagnes Tasted

• Brut Grand Cru - This is the product of 22 plots(!) in their Bouzy vineyards, with an average vineyard age of 25 years. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay from 2008 harvest and 2007 reserve wine. Paillard ages its wines for no less than 3 years on the lees (with yeasty yumminess) in order to achieve the kind of balance of flavor and finesse it aims for.
  
  I found its nose gently fruity and floral, up and excited. On the palate there was a bracing acidity. This was a Champagne that refreshes - and if you’re not quite awake, you will be after a sip!

• Bouzy Blanc de Noirs, “Les Maillerettes” - This is the name of their “mother” vineyard, a monocru (single vineyard). Paillard replants their other vineyards from grafts of the vines in this plot, thus perpetuating the family legacy in more ways than one. This wine is 100% Pinot Noir (hence “Blanc de Noirs” or “White from Blacks” although Pinot Noir is arguably a grape of a red color) from the 2008 harvest, and only the juice from the first two pressings are used.
  
  Upon first sniff, I can only describe the nose as very pure, clear and straight yet subtle. Imagine a chic woman with good breeding stepping into a room; it’s not her intention to attract attention, yet everyone’s eyes are inevitably drawn to her. The Champagne’s smooth, less bracing structure made this a wonderfully classy delight. I'm sure it would pair marvelously with poultry, or roasted pigeon in the Bresse style.

• Rosé Grand Cru - A blend of their white and red (70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir) from 2009 and 2008 reserve. 6% of the Pinot Noir is from their “Bouzy Rouge” - the grapes are from the little plot “Clos Pierre Paillard” just out the back of the house!
  
  Like the Brut Grand Cru, this one was up and excited, but it was fragrant like tea rose with a whiff of hard candy. A hint of red fruit gently underscored the mouth, with the perfume of tea rose riding the overtones. A strong acidic backbone ensured the Champagne didn’t dissolve into too much fragrance.

• Millésime 2004 Grand Cru 2004 - Ding Ding Ding! This was the winner for Susan. 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay, with 10 whopping years aging on the lees. If wine sitting with yeast slurry in a bottle for that long yields this kind of expansive toastiness, it’s worth the wait!
  
  Out of a lineup of wonderful, quality Champagnes, it was the flavor of this one that gobsmacked me. It was expansive yet structured with toasted almonds, brioche, and cheese! Like, parmesan. I was in heaven. 

As I sucked thoughtfully - I was getting better at it on my second day - and spit precious liquid repeatedly into the metal crachoir (spittoon), I was amazed by the incredible finesse and delicacy of these Champagnes. Each one possessed a unique character. Whether it was round and nutty or tight like hard candy with a bracing acidity, that exceptionally fine quality underscored - and in a sense defined - each as a Champagne of Pierre Paillard.

So that’s why I say it’s “not at all boozy in Bouzy” - not with Champagne Pierre Paillard, anyway. These are Champagnes to be savored with good friends, perhaps over a meal or dessert depending on which cuvée is chosen. Granted, you might get boozy if you enjoyed a glass or two continuously over breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With such wonderful selections, the concept may not seem completely crazy … but I’m not trying that anytime soon.

I must mention that after this visit, we began referring to our black VW Golf rental car affectionately as ‘Le Petit Bouzy’! It’s not just that I can’t resist a bad pun; it was a fitting way to commemorate a new and defining experience.