Pierre Paillard is a small grower‐producer of Champagnes located in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy. Since Antoine Paillard bought vineyards there in 1768, the Paillard family has been cultivating vines in this prestigious village, and today, Antoine and Quentin Paillard represent the eighth generation in the family and the fourth generation to produce, and bottle the wines under their family name. The two brothers took the reins officially in 2016.

Bouzy is one of the 17 villages in the Champagne region that has been classified as Grand Cru, the highest classification that can be awarded. Its situation on the south‐facing side of the Montagne de Reims lie on a bedrock of hard chalk, but the depth of topsoils vary. Some parcels have a mere 20 inches of topsoil, yet there is a large vein of sedimentary soil up to 10 feet deep that runs through the center of the village. These areas of deeper soil are ideal for the difficult to ripen Pinot Noir grape.

The Paillard estate is divided into 28 parcels over 11 hectares, planted entirely in the Grand Cru of Bouzy. The average age of the estate’s vineyards is about 29 years, with the oldest parcels dating from 1956. Starting in 2012, the brothers have focused on a massive replanting of selection massale Pinot Noir from their oldest parcel, Les Maillerettes. Today 80% of their vineyards are planted to Pinot Noir, which for them is synonymous with the village of Bouzy with it’s south facing slopes that produces rich and aromatic pinot noir.

They have farmed organically since 2012 but only became certified in 2020 - believing you have to go further. All parcels have been planted with cover crops for the last ten to fifteen years and synthetic treatments, such as those used against mildew, are kept to an absolute minimum.

“To do less, you have to be very precise every step of the way and then by harvest you can almost relax, because the fruit is healthy, you have a good amount and it’s ripe. But it takes a year of work to arrive at this point,” says Quentin.

For the vinification, each plot is harvested and now, vinified separately in oak. Fermentation is carried out at lower temperatures to retain the aromatics and the wines are kept in barrel on their fine lees until the early summer. Then starts a long process of tasting and blending. This is a unique moment shared only by the winemakers of the House (Benoît, Antoine and Quentin). Each plot is tasted, marked and commented upon until each person has a perfect feel for the profile of the year. Tests and blind tastings continue until the final choice: The creation of each cuvée. They bottle in June/July to maximize the influence of the oak and because they rely on native yeast fermentation and natural malolactic fermentation that takes time so they don’t want to rush the fermentation. After bottled for the second fermentation and kept in their 19th century cellars for a minimum of 3 years and as much as 10 years before being disgorged. Parcelles and Terre de Rosé are aged under crown cap and all the single vineyard wines (aged for a minimum of 5 years sur latte) are under cork.