Home > Producer Profiles > Loire Profiles > Pithon-Paillé

Pithon-Paillé

Charles Sydney's introduction to Domaine Pithon-Paillé, reproduced on the latter's website, is perhaps the kindest and most succinct way of describing the events that have befallen Jo Pithon (pictured, right). "Despite a series of mishaps that left him with no domaine, no winery and only five hectares of vines, the Loire’s very own gentle giant is once again up and kicking." writes Sydney. I would contend that describing the sequence of events as "mishaps" is perhaps putting a gentle spin on the story. The severance of Jo Pithon the man and Jo Pithon the name, the domaine, the business and label came about as the result of irresolvable differences with his financier, Philippe Fournier. Pithon left, taking with him all that he truly owned, which as Sydney points out amounted to about five hectares of vines, divided between the Anjou and Savennières appellations. Meanwhile, the domaine and the labels that bear his name remain in the ownership of Fournier, who has moulded and rebranded them, together with the vineyards of Chateau de Chamboureau, into Domaine FL.

Pithon, Paillé: A New Beginning

Pithon's response was to start afresh, entering into a partnership with his stepson Jo Paillé, the pair aided in everything that the do by their wives, Isabelle and Wendy; together the foursome have created a new venture, part-traditional domaine, starting with those few hectares of vines owned by Jo Senior, and part-négociant business, adding other wines from Anjou and also Touraine to the new Pithon-Paillé portfolio.

Starting out with very little, Pithon and Paillé were short not just of vineyards but also equipment, cellars and facilities. They set up in the outbuildings of Chateau La Fresnaye, which belongs to Philippe Baudin, a long-standing associate of Pithon. As Baudin had long since ceased making wine the cellars and equipment were available for Pithon, who once worked with Baudin, to use. Jo Paillé and wife Wendy took up residence in the large, draughty and allegedly haunted rooms of the chateau. Here they resided for two years, no doubt enjoying the proximity to their fermenting vats, but also no doubt aware of the need to locate their own more permanent facilities.

It was in 2010 that they finally located some suitable facilities; a vigneron in St Lambert du Lattay was retiring, a decision spurred on by his deteriorating health, and his cellars (pictured above) seemed ideally located right on the cusp between village and vineyards. When I visited later in the year they were still in the process of moving, those wines from the 2009 vintage now in bottle having been shipped over to St Lambert du Lattay, while those still in vat remained - temporarily - at Chateau La Fresnaye. And there were changes afoot amongst the vines as well; not content only with new premises, the Pithons and the Paillés were also augmenting their vineyard holdings.

The Pithon-Paillé Vineyards and Wines

The viticultural heart of Pithon-Paillé is without doubt the Coteau des Treilles (one small part of which is pictured below), a steep and craggy 7-hectare slope right on the banks of the Layon near Beaulieu-sur-Layon. Jo and Isabelle Pithon purchased the vineyard as if it were a jigsaw, slowly prising the pieces from the hands of 25 owners over a three-year period, the process eventually yielding 5 hectares of useable land; there are currently 2.5 hectares of vines, planted between 2000 and 2005. These most recent plantings have not been entirely successful; those in 2005 were slow to establish as they suffered in the heat of that hot summer, and it was five years before they bore any fruit. The 2003 plantings were ungrafted, and less than a decade on many of these vines have succumbed to phylloxera. As a result the vineyard is nowhere near full production.

As I wrote in my account of my visit to Pithon-Paillé in the summer of 2010, the Coteau des Treilles is without doubt the most visually striking vineyard that I have ever set my sight upon in the Loire. The vines run up the slope, the gradient sometimes as much as 70%, and at the very western end the dramatic outcrops of rock around which the rows of vines must flow are faintly reminiscent of the craggy projections that mark the vineyards of the Mosel. But there is more than just visual appeal here; the site is of significant interest to botanists as well as wine drinkers. Studies revealed a colony of the Lysandra belargus (the Belargus or Adonis Blue) butterfly, and hence although the dry Anjou made from the fruit here is known by the name of the lieu-dit, Coteau des Treilles, late-harvested fruit for the associated Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu has been christened Belargus des Treilles.

After Les Treilles the family own 2.2 hectares of vines at Chateau La Fresnaye at St Aubin-de-Luigné. Here on gravelly soils there are 1.5 hectares of Chenin Blanc, planted in two stages in 1987 and 1989, and also 0.7 hectares of Cabernet Franc planted in 1969. And the Pithon-Paillé domaine was completed, at its inception at least, by 0.25 hectares of vines at Clos Pirou in the Roches-aux-Moines cru of Savennières, planted in 1990 and 2006. With such a small plot it is no surprise to learn that the produce of these vines is blended with the purchased négoce wines.

It is only natural, however, that once the Pithons and Paillés established themselves anew that they should look to acquire vines, through renting or purchase, in some of the other local appellations. First up was a very small parcel of vines accounting for just 0.22 hectares of Quarts de Chaume, which they have been renting since 2008. Dissatisfied with the quality in that vintage the botrytis-free 2008 fruit was declassified into the négoce Anjou, but things were much better in 2009, so this will be the first vintage they release from this new acquisition. Secondly, they have acquired a portion of Les Bonnes Blanches, which lies just across from the Coteau des Treilles, on the opposite bank of the Layon. This vineyard accounts for 0.57 hectares, although other than the 2009 (in which it yielded a dry Anjou) and 2010 vintages there will be no wine from this site for some time. The plan here is to uproot the vines, replacing them with grain for a couple of vintages before starting afresh with new vines and organic vineyard management once the soil has had time to rest. The intention is to produce a dry Anjou Blanc from this site, with any botrytised fruit going into Les 4 Vents, a blended Coteaux du Layon, the name of which makes a reverential nod towards the old Pithon cuvée Les 4 Villages.

The Négoce Wines

It was in early 2008 that Pithon and Paillé created their new négociant venture. The focus is on Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc, from the Anjou and Savennières appellations especially. Together the duo select suitable plots, with a clear preference for organic production, and they remain involved with the vigneron throughout the year, providing supervision and advice on the harvest date before taking the purchased grapes or juice. The team take on fermentation and élevage, with between 10 and 18 months in oak depending on the style of wine. As with all négociants there is a possibility of some variation in the range of wines offered from year to year, but five (or six in 2009) wines form the core of the Pithon-Paillé offering. Once in bottle they can easily be distinguished from the home-grown Pithon-Paillé wines by the label design, which always features a 'bottle as sailing ship' stained-glass design, as with the Mozaïk cuvée in the montage of labels below.

The négoce range opens with an Anjou Blanc (which may also included non-botrytised fruit from Pithon's vines in Quarts de Chaume) matured in 2-5 year-old barrels, which in 2009 has been renamed Mozaïk. Then there is a Savennières which sees 20% new wood, and which is a blend of purchased and domaine-grown fruit, the former outweighing the latter by a huge margin. This is it for white; the Anjou Blanc cuvées from Les Bonnes Blanches and the Coteau des Treilles and the sweet 4 Vents, Belargus des Treilles and Quarts de Chaume all originate with domaine-grown fruit, as described above.

From the reds, however, there is a stronger contingent of négoce wines, perhaps acknowledging that Anjou is not renowned as a location of terroirs favourable for Cabernet Franc, which is better on the limestones and gravels of Saumur and Touraine than the granites and schists that characterise much of Anjou. Nevertheless there is a very tasty Anjou Rouge, introduced with the 2009 vintage and also called Mozaïk, followed by two examples of Bourgueil, Les Graviers and Le Coteau, from gravel and limestone respectively, and also a Chinon, a Vieilles Vignes cuvée from vines in Beaumont-en-Véron. All these are négoce wines; the only red from domaine-grown fruit is the Anjou Rouge La Fresnaye.

Before long there should also be a sparkling wine in the portfolio. I learnt on my visit to the domaine in the summer of 2010 of Pithon's plans in this arena. Reluctant to add sugar or yeast for a second fermentation, he intends instead to blend in each bottle a mix of 90% Anjou Blanc - he has three barrels of the 2009 put aside for this very purpose - with 10% of the must from the 2010 vintage. This should be enough, he thinks, to kick-start a second fermentation in bottle. It is an experiment, and Pithon was not entirely sure what the appellation would be, or even if it would work, but whatever happens I look forward to tasting the end result.

Pithon-Paillé Opinion

This is a young business, and so there are not old vintages to taste. But the vibrant and perfumed fruit in the 2008 vintages, across the board, says much for the experience of the family running the Loire's newest and most dynamic négociant. These are delicious wines, with lots of elegant potential. As such I sense a new direction for Pithon, perhaps influenced by his experiences, but more likely by the hand of Jo Paillé I think (pictured right, Jo Paillé's wife, Wendy). Pithon's wines were renowned for being big, bold and perhaps a little bolshy, marked by extraction, sometimes botrytis, sometimes oxidation. The 2006 Les Treilles (tasting notes below), was a balanced antithesis of this style; although still honeyed by oak, it was fresh, elegant and had finesse.

Having said that, tasting the wines from the 2009 vintage did give me the suggestion that the style may be moving back towards the old Pithon ways a little, with the Coteau des Treilles in particular showing a very bold character and even though the contribution from new oak was only 15% this showed through very clearly on the nose and palate. But the wine is young, and freshly bottled (the day before I tasted it in fact); without doubt some reservation in judgement is required. And it is worth noting that the 2008 La Fresnaye showed a similar oak-tinged style when I tasted it in its youth, whereas now it has gained a lovely, polished character. I suspect that all the wines should find the same style as that 2006 Coteau des Treilles given time. Jo Pithon, with the help of his family, not least stepson Jo Paille, is moving onwards and upwards. And so are his wines, I feel. (10/3/09, updated 1/9/10)

Contact details:
Address: 19 rue St Vincent, 49750 St Lambert du Lattay
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 41 78 68 74
Internet: www.pithon-paille.com

Pithon-Paillé - Tasting Notes

Click to locate stockists.

Pithon-Paillé Anjou Blanc Mozaïk 2009: In 2009 the négoce Anjou cuvée has been christened Mozaïk. Perhaps a more significant development is the use of screwcaps for half of the production, the remainder set to go under cork. Pithon-Paillé have also introduced a lightweight bottle. Only just bottled the day before tasting. Floral on the nose, pear and sweet fruits, very typically cleanly aromatic young Chenin. Nice grip on the palate, good tingly acidity. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 16-17+/20 (July 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Savennières 2009: A blend of Pithon-Paillé fruit (2 barrels) and négociant fruit (23 barrels), a greater production than in 2008. Only just bottled the day before tasting. Sweet honey-tinged aromatic fruit on the nose, perfumed pear drops, with a lovely, flashy style. Good grip on the palate, appropriate structure and fine acids too. Good length. This has plenty of promise. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 17-18+/20 (July 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Anjou Coteau des Treilles 2009: Barrel-fermented, as is the case for all the white wines. A mix of barrels here, including some larger 350-litre barrels, and 15% new oak. Only just bottled the day before tasting. The oak shows on the nose, which has a very smoky, toasty, caramel-tinged quality at present. Good grip on the palate, plenty of good structure, with a touch of whisky mash which I recall finding in another Pithon-Paillé wine (2008 La Fresnaye on reviewing my notes). Judgement needs to be sensitive in view of the recent bottling. I think this should integrate and absorb the oak; I will reassess next year. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 17.5-18.5+/20 (July 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Anjou Rouge Mozaïk 2009: Only just bottled the day before tasting. Lots of colour here, reflecting the remarkable vintage. The nose follows on in the same vein, with a wealth of sweet and dark fruits, intersecting seams of spice and darkness. The palate is supple, full, lightly creamy, very much in keeping with my experiences of 2009 so far. Good length and texture. For Anjou Rouge, impressive. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 16-17+/20 (July 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Coteau du Layon Les 4 Vents 2009: This is Pithon-Paillé's new entry-level Coteaux du Layon, the name reminiscent of Pithon's previous cuvée, Les 4 Villages. This cuvée is also sourced from four villages, although St Aubin dominates. A mix of 50% botrytised and 50% ripe but non-botrytised fruit. Only just bottled the day before tasting. Nevertheless it shows well, a rich and golden hue, and a good honeyed, yellow peach sweetness tempered by notes of lemon zest, mint, sage and beeswax. Polished, with good honey elements intertwined with an appealing minerality. Fat but balanced. Very fine. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 16.5-17.5+/20 (July 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Quarts de Chaume 2009: A new addition to the portfolio, from 0.22 hectares of rented vines, tasted from vat at Chateau La Fresnaye. 130 g/l residual sugar. Overt botrytis on the nose here, lots of honey and apricot. Supple, fleshy, with plenty of sweet substance on the palate. Nicely poised, very rich, with a great finish. Will go into half bottles. Should be super. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 17-18+/20 (July 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Coteaux du Layon Belargus des Treilles 2009: This cuvée originates from the Coteau des Treilles, from the final tries of botrytised grapes approximately three weeks after the fruit for the Treilles Anjou has been picked. About 1.5 barrels in terms of volume. Residual sugar 150 g/l. Honey, sweetness, density on the nose, with fleeting scents of sage. Peach flesh on the palate, but also a little bitter grip hinting at peach skin. Lovely honey and beeswax elements, with floral, acacia nuances too, with moderate acidity. Very fine indeed, this may well just have the edge on the Quarts de Chaume. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 17.5-18.5+/20 (July 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Anjou Blanc 2008: The négoce wine, including non-botrytised Quarts de Chaume fruit in this vintage. Organic, half from schistous and half from limestone terroirs. A touch of honey on the nose now, still very attractive, a firmer style on the palate than I recall from previous tastings which I like. Good concentration, substance and acidity. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 16/20 (July 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Anjou Blanc 2008: A négoce wine This cuvée comes from organically-tended vines, half on schist providing gras to the wine, half on limestone giving minerality and acid. It sees out 10 months in 3-4 year-old barriques. Lovely fresh fruit on the nose, gentle, mildly herbal too. Nice flavours on the palate, with a nice core of acidity and mineral freshness. This is very good; note it also includes the Pithon-Paillé Quarts de Chaume fruit (non-botrytised) in this vintage. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 16/20 (February 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Anjou Blanc 2008: Tasted twice, once with Charles Sydney and once with the Pithon-Paillé family. I have combined my two notes. An early sample. A négoce wine, blended from up to four terroirs. It has light apple and pear fruit on the nose, gentle and fresh, aromatic and a touch exotic, with hints of sage. The palate is fresh, crisp, mineral, bright and full of character. This is a vivacious wine with fresh, sappy, grippy fruit backed up by fine acidity. A very good depth of substance; great potential here. 16-17+/20 (February 2009)

Pithon-Paillé Savennières 2008: A négoce wine but including fruit from Pithon-Paillé's tiny plot. The nose here has honey swirled with minerality, and a fine dry substance on the palate. Fat, serving temperature a little warmer than it should be, grippy though, with nicely attractive substance. Upright and appealingly substantial. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 17.5+/20 (July 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Savennières 2008: Tasted twice, once with Charles Sydney and once with the Pithon-Paillé family. I have combined my two notes. An early sample. The family own only 0.25 hectares of vines here (in the Roches-aux-Moines cru) which is blended into this négoce wine. Like the Anjou this also shows wonderful freshness and minerals, with a very light, elegant and perfumed style. The palate doesn't disappoint; it is beautifully defined, full and sappy, with a firm, spicy-peppery grip underneath delicious white pear and apple fruits. A hugely fresh and vivacious wine, with massive substance and plenty of appeal for me. Fine potential. 17-18+/20 (February 2009)

Pithon-Paillé Anjou Blanc La Fresnaye 2008: This cuvée which comes from Pithon-Paillé's own vines (there are 1.5 hectares of Chenin Blanc in Fresnaye, planted 1969) has a more honeyed intensity than the entry-level Anjou. Good impact, polished and substantial. Lovely character here, good fat substance at first, later followed up by floral and crunchy fruit. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 17+/20 (July 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Anjou Blanc La Fresnaye 2008: A return to this wine, which has now seen out 10 months in 2-5 year-old oak, and a partial malolactic fermentation. There is a tinge of whisky mash on the nose, surely oak-related, which should fade with time. Notes of peach stone too. The palate is quite structured, with some lovely fruit notes, culminating in a rush of orange peel swirled in cream on the finish. Elegant weight, firm, with a fine finish. Really lovely potential here, but needs a year or two to come together. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 16.5+/20 (February 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Anjou Blanc La Fresnaye 2008: An early sample. This wine is sourced from vineyards still in the ownership of the family, carried on from Domaine Jo Pithon. A gravelly nose, a little dry at the ends, but with vibrant, youthful pear fruit in the middle. There is a lovely vinous texture to the palate, showing just a little fat, but it also has great balance. Lots of spicy acidity underneath it. Overall a fresh wine, with the floral purity of a spring meadow, but with firm minerally undertones. An impressive wine. 16-17+/20 (February 2009)

Pithon-Paillé Anjou Blanc Coteau des Treilles 2008: Again this wine has had 10 months in mostly 2-5 year-old oak (10% was new), and has also been through malolactic fermentation. This was one of my favourite wines last year. Firm and honeyed fruit now, elegant nose, with a melange of citrus fruit and light cream. The oak has been absorbed well, although visible it does not dominate, being just part of the picture. Nice peach skin and tangerine notes. Quite a reserved, structured finish, more grippy through the middle. Fresh but on a grand scale. Lovely style. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 17+/20 (February 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Anjou Blanc Coteau des Treilles 2008: Again from the family's vineyards, another very early sample. Still cloudy. The vineyard is noted for the Belargus butterfly, which was identified at the site. It has deep and rather heady fruit on the nose, perfumed and pretty, with some oak in the background. Slightly more creamy than La Fresnaye, rounded and textured, smoothly polished with a fine character. Lots of good acidity too. Really a very attractive wine. 16.5-17.5+/20 (February 2009)

Pithon-Paillé Anjou Rouge La Fresnaye 2008: This is 100% Cabernet Franc. Pure, clean, red fruit character here, with good Cabernet aromatics. This is followed by a minerally-stony and floral palate, pretty and quite structured, with a good balance of components. A nice wine with some potential. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 16+/20 (February 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Bourgueil Graviers 2008: A négoce wine. Obviously this wine originates from a gravelly terroir, just below the village of Bourgueil, from 20-year old certified-organic vines. A glorious and glossy colour, a moderate depth of hue. Smoky and sweet fruit on the nose, with a stony-mineral edge. Fresh, gently textured, fresh and mineral with a sweet red fruit character. An attractive, easy-drinking wine. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 15.5+/20 (February 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Bourgueil Graviers 2008: Back to the négoce wines here, with this Bourgueil from gravelly soils. Perfumed red fruits on the nose, with a sweet and slightly confected edge to the fruit - but this is a very young sample. The palate has a fine, stony-raspberry fruit character, with elements of leaf, parma violets and perfume. There is good structure underneath. Fresh, attractive and juicy, but with good grip at the end. Nice wine. 15.5-16.5+/20 (February 2009)

Pithon-Paillé Bourgueil Coteau 2008: A négoce wine. A clay and limestone terroir, the fruit here is vinified in barrels at least 2 years old. The nose is more fragrant than that of Graviers, it having a much more typical Cabernet Franc perfume. Nicely textured on the palate, with a little substance to it and certainly some good structure. A nice wine which will benefit from a little time in the cellar I think. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 16+/20 (February 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Bourgueil Coteau 2008: Another négoce wine, from a limestone terroir. A more reticent style on the nose here, although it is fresh and sweet, with the vibrant perfume of wild strawberries. More supple on the palate, smooth and polished, with a creamy-stony character. Lots of lovely style here, grippy too, with vibrant fruit aromas of chalky raspberry lingering at the finish. Good wine. 16-16.5+/20 (February 2009)

Pithon-Paillé Chinon Vieilles Vignes 2008: From a single slope, 80-year old vines, fermented in tank with malolactic in barrels, vinified in Chinon before moving the finished wine to the Pithon-Paillé chai. Vinification includes pigeage by Jo Pithon himself. Fresh fruit on the nose, pretty but quite firm underneath. Supple, more so than expected, with a harmonious composition. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 16.5/20 (July 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Chinon Vieilles Vignes 2008: A négoce wine This cuvée comes from 80-year old vines currently undergoing organic certification on a clay-limestone terroir. The nose shows some finely tuned fruit with a light, daintily textured character. There are some good elements of structure beneath it though, with a more solid base beneath reflecting the wine's calcaire origins. Overall though, a Chinon in a lifted and aromatic style. From a 2010 Pithon-Paillé update. 16+/20 (February 2010)

Pithon-Paillé Chinon Vieilles Vignes 2008: This comes from plot of 80-year-old vines. A nice style, very typical, with mineral and stone character. The palate has a fine composition, with pure black fruits and a perfumed edge. Overall a very lifted, violet-tinged wine, sappy, round and mouth-fillingly fresh. This is an impressive cuvée. 16.5-17/20 (February 2009)

Pithon-Paillé Anjou Blanc Coteau des Treilles 2006: No longer for sale, but the family still hold some stock for drinking or showing at tastings. This has seen about 11 months in oak and it thus gives some indication of where the 2008 might be in a couple of years. It has a lovely nose, fresh and pure, with a very slightly honeyed richness, but still with all the minerality purity I would expect. A little touch of vanilla and aniseed too. The palate is superb, smoothly polished, with firmly defined edges. This is really well delineated, high quality drinking. 17.5/20 (February 2009)