Domaine Jean-Marc Boillot bases its operations in Pommard in the Côte de Beaune in Burgundy. Jean-Marc founded the domaine in 1985 after departing from his family estate, Domaine Henri Boillot, where he managed vinification for 13 vintages. He aim to craft wines with concentration, richness, and ripeness. For the next four to five years, he worked as winemaker at Olivier Leflaive while beginning his own production using rented vines in Pommard. In 1988, he inherited parcels in Volnay and Pommard from his paternal grandfather. Three years later, he acquired a one-third share of Domaine Etienne Sauzet from his maternal grandfather, incorporating premier cru vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, and Meursault.
The new generation
Jean-Marc Boillot now collaborates with his daughter Lydie Alzingre and son-in-law François Alzingre, who oversee daily activities with support from their children and a team of nine staff members focused on viticultural, oenological, and logistical tasks.
Viticulture
The domaine farms around 11 hectares in the Côte de Beaune, five hectares of Pinot Noir and six of Chardonnay, while also sourcing from the Mâconnais and Côte Chalonnaise for an average annual production of 50.000 bottles.
The domaine's whites display purity and freshness, with underlying minerality and aromas that shift from citrus to exotic fruit depending on the vintage. The reds blend vivid fruit with good oak integration and will age well for several years.
Viticulture tends to promote vine health and depth, including planting at a minimum density of 12,000 vines per hectare to promote competition and encourage roots to penetrate deeply into the soil. Plowing maintains soil aeration, curbs shallow root growth, and sustains biological activity. Vineyard practices protect beneficial insects and wildlife while activating the vine's natural defenses.
The domaine prioritizes old vines, viewing them as optimal at 40 years old and viable up to 100 years old. The oldest plantings of the domaine are located in La Garenne, Les Combettes, and Champ Canet dated to Etienne Sauzet's era. Farming remains conventional with an emphasis on sustainable manual methods.
Winemaking
White winemaking begins with pneumatic pressing of whole clusters, followed by settling to retain fine lees. Selected yeasts initiate alcoholic fermentation entirely in oak barrels, incorporating 15 to 30 percent new wood. Malolactic fermentation completes fully, and the wines age for 11 months without racking, undergoing bâtonnage every seven to ten days.
Red winemaking involves rigorous sorting and complete destemming. A cold soak of six to eight days in closed stainless steel tanks precedes alcoholic fermentation with selected yeasts and maceration at higher temperatures for 18 to 21 days. Pump-overs occur as needed, with limited or no punch-downs. Malolactic fermentation finishes entirely, and aging extends 13 months in barrels ranging from 228 to 390 liters, using 30 to 50 percent new oak without racking; some cuvées spend an additional six months in tank before bottling, which includes potential fining or filtration based on samples.
With experience from more than 50 vintages and a clear focus on terroir expression through careful viticulture and adapted winemaking, Domaine Jean-Marc Boillot produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines that combine precision, purity, and aging capacity across its range of village, premier cru, and grand cru appellations.
