Joillot Georges

Pommard is situated in the heart of the Côte de Beaune, between Beaune to the north and Volnay to the south, and is renowned for producing some of Burgundy’s most robust red wines.

Domaine Georges Joyot has been working these lands since 1929, remaining in the same family for four generations and gradually building a range that varies from the regional ‘Bourgogne’ to ‘Pommard Premier Cru’.

History

The estate was founded in 1929 by Robert Joillot and has remained in the family for generations. In February 2019, management passed to the fourth generation: Jeanne Joillot, Robert’s great-granddaughter, alongside her half-brother Simon Goutard and her husband Grégoire Guido. At the same time, the estate was renamed from Domaine Jean-Luc Joillot, named after Jeanne’s father, to Domaine Georges Joillot, in honour of her grandfather Georges. The winery is located at 6 rue Marey Monge in Pommard, next to Château de Pommard.

Vineyards and terroir

The estate covers 14 hectares, spread across several appellations in the Côte de Beaune. The core is Pommard itself, where the vines grow on the clay-limestone soils typical of this appellation. Some Premier Cru plots, such as Les Charmots, are situated on south- and south-east-facing clay-limestone slopes at the foot of the hill, ensuring maximum sun exposure. In addition to Pommard, the estate has plots in Bonnes, Volnay and the Burgundy region. The vines are planted at a density of 10,000 vines per hectare and are cultivated using sustainable viticulture methods: the grass cover is preserved and the use of chemicals is kept to a minimum.

Grape varieties

Pinot Noir is the dominant variety, from which all red wines in Pommard, Bonnes-Mares and Volnay are produced. White wines are made from Chardonnay and Aligoté. Burgundy Passetoutgrains, a regional blend, combines 80 per cent Pinot Noir, 10 per cent Aligoté and 10 per cent Chardonnay.

Winemaking

In all ranges, the grapes are completely destemmed before fermentation. ‘Village’ and regional wines are aged in vats for 10 to 12 days depending on the vintage, whilst ‘Premier Cru’ wines undergo a longer maceration period of 15 to 20 days.

Ageing takes place in oak barrels, with the proportion of new oak increasing as the quality of the wine rises: around 25 per cent new oak for the ‘Village’ wine from Pommard and 25 per cent for the ‘Premier Cru Les Charmots’, which is aged in barrels for 14 months. The fourth generation is also experimenting with whole-bunch fermentation to lend greater complexity to certain cuvées.

Wines

The range covers several appellations.

At the top are the Pommard Premier Cru wines, including Les Charmots, produced from a harvest of 0.36 hectares of 70-year-old vines.

Pommard Vieilles Vignes, a blend from several plots with an average vine age of 55 years, is a reliable benchmark for ‘village’ wines. Also featured are ‘village’ wines from Bonnes and Volnay,

Volnay Premier Cru Les Santenots, as well as regional white wines, including Bourgogne Aligoté and Bourgogne Blanc.