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Jo Pithon

Jo Pithon established his domaine in 1978, a mere infant when compared to other great domaines of Layon such as Domaine des Baumard and Chateau Pierre-Bise. But it is clear, on tasting Pithon's wines, that this is a great domaine which can turn out rich, minerally, yet lacy and elegant wines. Clearly history is not the only factor that determines a domaine's worth.

Jo PithonAs you might expect, a domaine of such class aims for high quality fruit as a base material. There is some mechanisation in the vineyard (mainly ploughing and weeding), but many practices are done by hand. There is a green harvest in July with the intention of harvesting between six and eight bunches per vine. Leaf thinning goes from July to September. The domaine is certified biodynamique and vineyard treatments include only those permitted under such conditions; at the moment this is Bordeaux mixture and sulphur, although there are a variety of pulps, infusions, and so on that may be applied if required. The harvest of the botrytised grapes involves up to five tris through the vineyard. The wines are fermented using the yeasts that come in with the grapes, and naturally see minimal intervention in the cellar. Chaptalisation is not employed - "Elle triche" ("It is cheating"), says Jo Pithon. Such is Jo Pithon's commitment that he is a member of Sapros, a union of French vignerons all passionate about the production of botrytised wines. Other members, to name a few, include Jean-Michel Deiss, Philippe Delesvaux, Jean Thevenet and Chateau Guiraud.

After establishing his domaine Jo Pithon gradually acquired more land, up to 14 hectares in all. Some of this was sold off, Pithon keeping hold of only the gems, Jo Pithonand he now has 10 hectares planted to Chenin Blanc. The most recent acquisitions include plots in Quarts de Chaume and Chaume in 1997, and in Savennières in 2000. The plots are as follows:

The wines produced from these vineyards include Anjou Les Pépinières, from sandstone and carboniferous vineyards in Beaulieu sur Layon, Anjou Les Bergères, from schistous soil and Coteaux du Layon Les 4 Villages, a blend of wines from St Aubin, Chaume, St Lambert and Beaulieu. There are both Anjou and Coteaux du Layon bottlings from Les Bonnes Blanches. The Savennières and Quarts de Chaume are, obviously, bottled as such. In short, this domaine produces a fine array of wines, ranging from very good to outstanding. Jo Pithon, together with his wife Isabelle and staff Louis-Marie and Tin Tin, deserves to be ranked alongside the top producers of Layon. (20/7/04)

Contact details:
Address: 49750 St Lambert du Lattey
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 41 78 40 91
Fax: +33 (0) 2 41 78 46 37
Internet: www.domaine-jopithon.com

Jo Pithon - Tasting Notes

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2005

Jo Pithon Savennières La Croix Picot 2005: A very appealing depth of colour, with a straw yellow hue. The nose speaks very firmly of Chenin Blanc, with notes of honey (but not sweetness, if that is possible), minerals, candlewax and a little funk, which all sits beautifully interwoven with aromas of dried, very slightly sweet and candied fruit. It possesses a lovely, bright, intense. flavoursome, pure and unsullied character on the palate, showing a full body, with a firm, fresh, waxy, straw and golden fruit character. This mingles with a lovely minerality. Overall this is really very characterful, and it has a rich, firm, grippy finish. And a good length too, which just goes on and on. Firm and pure, with huge character, this is excellent. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 18.5/20 (April 2008)

2001

Jo Pithon Anjou Les Bergères 2001: A really deep, golden, shimmering hue. Very aromatic, rich and sweetened by a suggestions of botrytis. Quince and honey. Full bodied, structured, bone dry, but with lovely extract and flavour. It has a lovely honey-like palate-coating quality. Some characteristics derived from barrel maturation too. Delicious stuff. 17/20 (June 2004)

Jo Pithon Coteaux du Layon Les 4 Villages 2001: Moderate rich golden colour. A lovely nose, with botrytis richness wrapped around some fresh whites fruits. Lovely concentration on the palate, with a creamy mouthfeel offset by firm acidity. Good botrytis character adds to the sensation. Ripe white fruits. Deliciously voluptuous, yet balanced. Delightful. 17/20 (June 2004)

1997

Jo Pithon Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu 1997: One of the benchmarks for the appellation I am sure, it is a delight to taste this again. It still has that rich, burnished hue. The nose holds onto the botrytis infused aromas it displayed last time, with a rich core of quince and honey as well as new, deeper notes of golden syrup and pastry. Incredibly broad and mouthfilling, with an unctuous texture backed up by a spicy grip. I don't sense quite the same entwined and elegant balance as the last bottle, but the concentration is stunning. Wonderful, rich notes reminiscent of baklawa, dripping with honey, which passes through the finish and lingers on the palate for a very long time. Very impressive. From a tasting of the 1997 Vintage at ten years of age. 18.5/20 (December 2007)

Jo Pithon Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu 1997: A deep, burnished orange-gold hue which holds a lot of promise. A superb nose, full of botrytis, orange and lemon-edged quince, honey and a smoky, minerally edge too. The palate is simply astounding, combining a delicate balance with a huge depth and superb concentration. A velvety, smooth texture, a little grip, but most of all a rarely experienced fluid elegance intertwined with a fine, complex richness. This is splendid. It demonstrates the magical combination of what a great domaine can produce when the vintage conditions are right - in the case of 1997, plentiful botrytis. 19/20 (June 2004)

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