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Anthony Gismondi on Wine
Champagne Pierre Paillard Les Parcelles Bouzy Grand Cru XXtext
91POINTS
16¾/20

Champagne Pierre Paillard Les Parcelles Bouzy Grand Cru XX NV

Montagne de Reims, Champagne, FranceBrothers Antoine and Quentin Paillard are 8th generation vine growers and winemakers, carrying on the family tradition along with father Benoit. The Paillard family has been growing vines and making wine in Bouzy since 1768, owning only Grand Cru vineyards with old vines via massale selection (no clones). They are truly a star of the grower champagne movement. Les Parcelles is sourced entirely from their home village of Bouzy and 22 plots of the family's sustainably-farmed vines, now averaging 30+ years. As noted by the XX on the label, this is based on the 2020 vintage (80%) and my bottle is a mix of 80/20 pinot noir/chardonnay (the latter an anomaly in PN-centric Bouzy), fermented in oak, and disgorged in 2024 after 3 years on lees, with 2 g/L dosage. Gentle on the palate, slender and fine, with kisses of fino, cherry, and red apple, and very few bubbles, washed with a chalky rinse that lingers on the finish. I've tasted the XX a few times now, and it hasn't been the same calibre as earlier editions, so I'm assuming it is Covid harvest related. Looking forward to the XI.Tasted: 09 January 2026Tasted by: Prices:
BC$100.00750mlprivate wine stores
ON$98.35750mlLCBO
Producer: Champagne Pierre PaillardDistributors: The Wine Syndicate
Halpern
Les Vins Dame-Jeanne
Blend: Pinot Noir - Chardonnay