In early 2020, while visiting Dominique Moreau of Champagne Marie Courtin, we had the pleasure of sitting down for a formal tasting with her daughter Jeanne Piollot. We have met Jeanne at the domaine before, but this was the first time that she joined her mother during one of our visits. After tasting the sensational Marie Courtin champagnes, we asked Dominique and Jeanne what the bottles resting to their side contained. Jeanne replied, “these are barrel samples of my wines.” We immediately replied, “Can we taste?”. Jeanne shared each of the samples with us, two still wines and two sparkling wines. She explained the terroir she is now working with in Molesme which lies just in Burgundy in the Châtillonnais region. Before leaving the domaine we expressed our enthusiasm for Dame Jeanne and we placed our first order once the wines were released in 2020. It is a true pleasure to be Jeanne’s first importer in the USA and to be able to share her wines both with our customers and alongside her mother’s champagnes. As she told us, “You will be the first one to get the wines on the other side of the Atlantic”. What a treat !

Molesme seems to be the hot new area for growers from Champagne to begin producing Burgundy. There are rumors that Cédric Bouchard has been working on a project here as well as some other growers. Jeanne Piollot is the first to release wines from this area which borders Champagne. Her 2.3 hectare domaine, named Dame Jeanne or “Lady Jeanne”, is composed of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay vines which lie in the clay, limestone and red marl soils of the Châtillonnais region. Jeanne is working her vines organically, Guyot trained and by hand.

In the cellar, native yeast fermentation takes place in neutral Burgundy barrique for the still wines and in stainless steel tank for the sparkling wines. The wines are unfined, unfiltered and with nothing added to them.  The sparkling wines are aged for 2 years sur lattes before disgorgement and do not receive dosage.