Jo Pithon
Author’s note: While tasting notes on older vintages of Jo Pithon’s wines can be found here, there is much more information on Jo in my profile of Pithon-Paillé, and details of what happened to all his vines can be found in my Domaine Belargus profile.
Jo Pithon established his eponymous domaine in 1978, a mere infant when compared to other great domaines along the banks of the Layon such as Domaine des Baumard and Château Pierre-Bise. But it was clear to me, on tasting a selection of Pithon’s wines for the first time, that this was a great domaine which could turn out minerally yet elegant wines. In truth with time I would see that the overarching style here tended towards the rich, and the big, sometimes with prominent oak, sometimes with a trace of oxidation, but this was certainly a domaine worth knowing. Sadly, however, it is a domaine no more. More on that at the end of this profile.
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, and he thus ended up with 10 hectares planted to Chenin Blanc. The last acquisitions included plots in Quarts de Chaume and Chaume in 1997, and in Savennières in 2000.
