Pierre Boillot is a little-known winemaker in France, which is to be expected given that 85% of his production is exported, but one that connoisseurs rave about vintage after vintage. With 2014, he once again offers us Pinots bursting with freshness and complexity. Wines built for laying down that will delight you for years to come.

Based in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin, Pierre Boillot works in the pure Burgundy tradition, seeking to make the terroir speak for itself. You may say that this is often the case with the winemakers we introduce to you, but with Pierre, the truth of terroir is deeply rooted in his genes. So is the desire to produce great wines for laying down.

"I don't try to stick to fashions, I make traditional wine. I refuse to produce something that is quickly accessible, because you inevitably lose a lot in terms of quality, depth and terroir. We know that a wine's complexity is diffused over time. With a short cuvaison, you're on the fruit, it's tender. With a long cuvaison, it's much deeper.

With exemplary work in the vineyard, organic practices, tightly controlled yields (25/30 hl/ha) and gentle, respectful vinification, Pierre has now perfectly mastered his method.

"I start my vinifications with a pre-fermentation maceration. We use only natural yeasts. There's very little intervention, just monitoring the temperature. The length and number of punch-downs depend on the vintage, and on how I feel about it. My aim is to produce a wine that balances itself, while avoiding forced extractions.

From his magnificent plots in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Volnay and especially Gevrey-Chambertin, Pierre Boillot produces truly remarkable wines. The juices are dense and fresh at the same time, balanced, precise, with a velvety texture and a structure that will allow even the "simple" villages to go a long way in time. The final word goes to Pierre:

"Terroir is a truth, but not everyone makes the most of it. The winegrower has to be in his vineyard, he has to touch it, he has to prune it. I like that, I know my vines by heart. You have to be close to your terroir to understand it.