93/100, Gismondi on Wine: La Grande Récolte represents the quintessence of the Paillard's vineyards, sourced from two sites within their top vineyard in their Bouzy homeland. This blends 55% old vine Pinot Noir from a plot called Les Maillerettes, planted in 1970, and 45% Chardonnay from Les Mottelettes, planted in 1961. Both are the mother vines for the massale selections made in house, and both vineyards are a mere 0.8 acres. This was vinified in stainless, and was kept on lees for eight months until bottling the following spring. This rested for 10 years in the deep chalk Paillard cellars, and was disgorged with 1.8 g/L in March 2022. From the excellent 2012 vintage, this is a highly layered and gastronomic champagne, with strata of chalk, lemon, white cherry streaming along the supple palate with a bright lemon acidity, finishing long with ample flake salts. (Treve Ring)."

"La Grande Récolte 2012 offers the concentrated intensity of this great vintage yet remains graceful." La Revue du Vin de France, 2024

Dosage: 1 g/L
La Grande Récolte 2012 is the most perfect illustration of Maison Pierre Paillard. Crafted from old vine Pinot Noir (45%) and Chardonnay (55%), this cuvée has spent 10 years on lees before disgorgement.. 2012 was a great vintage which shows both complexity and definition. Harvest began on September 21st. 

TERROIR
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.

VITICULTURE
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.

VINIFICATION
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. Terre de Rosé is aged under crown cap and all the single vineyard wines (aged for a minimum of 5 years sur latte) are under cork.