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Jo Pithon

Jo Pithon established his eponymous domaine in 1978, a mere infant when compared to other great domaines of Layon such as Domaine des Baumard and Chateau Pierre-Bise. But it was clear to me, on tasting a selection of Pithon's wines for the first time, that this was a great domaine which could turn out rich, minerally, yet elegant wines. In truth the overarching style tends towards the rich, the big, sometimes with prominent oak, sometimes with a trace of oxidation, but this was certainly a domaine worth knowing. Sadly, however, it is a domaine no more. More on that at the end of this profile.

After establishing his domaine Jo Pithon gradually acquired more land, up to 14 hectares in all. Some of this was sold off, Pithon keeping hold of only the gems, and he ended up with 10 hectares planted to Chenin Blanc. The last acquisitions included plots in Quarts de Chaume and Chaume in 1997, and in Savennières in 2000. The plots were as follows:

The wines produced from these vineyards during Pithon's tenure included Anjou Les Pépinières, from sandstone and carboniferous vineyards in Beaulieu-sur-Layon, Anjou Les Bergères, from schistous soil and the Coteaux du Layon Les 4 Villages, a blend of wines from Saint Aubin, Chaume, Saint Lambert and Beaulieu. There were both Anjou and Coteaux du Layon bottlings from Les Bonnes Blanches. The Savennières and Quarts de Chaume were, obviously, bottled as such. There were other labels; the 1997 Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu, in particular, was one of my all-time favourite wines.

As I mentioned earlier, however, domaine Jo Pithon is no more. The story of this Loire mini-saga perhaps begins with the arrival of Philippe Fournier in 2005. Fournier is chairman and managing director of Afone, a French telecommunications company with its headquarters in Angers. He entered the fray when he bought out Jo Pithon's debts, which were considerable. He thus acquired Domaine Jo Pithon (and Chateau de Chamboureau the following year) but Pithon's services were retained, so he continued to work as general manager at the estate that bore his name, running the vineyards and making the wines. Fournier's intent, initially at least, seems to have been to build upon the good work already done, especially at Domaine Jo Pithon, although Chamboureau perhaps demanded rather more time and investment. With that in mind Fournier brought in Stéphane Derenoncourt to take control of the vineyards and cellars practices. All should have continued smoothly, but somewhere along the way the process was derailed, as manifested by Pithon's sudden resignation in 2008. It seems that there was a disagreement (perhaps several) and things came to a head when it was revealed that Chamboureau and Domaine Jo Pithon were to be brought together under a single label, Domaine FL. This was perhaps the straw that broke the camel's back, and the relationship between Fournier and Pithon was severed.

Pithon moved on, taking from the vineyards above Les Treilles, the only site in the lust above which he owned personally, and together with other plots in Anjou and Savennières these vines formed the nucleus of Pithon-Paillé, his new venture with his stepson Joseph Paillé. All the other vineyards, labels and stock went to Domaine FL, which Fournier will continue to run with consultation from Derenoncourt. And so two new chapters open where one has closed; it has been, without doubt, a deeply upsetting end to the family's domaine and business, but having spoken to Joseph Paillé and his partner Wendy Wilson, and tasted the wines of their new négociant venture, there are clearly moving on in a very positive fashion. (20/7/04, updated 13/3/09)

Contact details:
For details on Jo Pithon and Joseph Paillé, see Pithon-Paillé.
For details on Philippe Fournier and his new venture, see Domaine FL.

Jo Pithon - Tasting Notes

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2006

Jo Pithon Anjou Blanc Les Pépinières 2006: A straw-gold hue, and a nose hugely typical of Chenin, presented in a style marked by slight oxidation. There are notes of ginger and apple pastry, over aromas of golden syrup and sponge cake. On the palate though it has a very full style, plenty of substance, and is clean despite that oxidised edge. The flavours are spiced with pepper, and there is much grip and structure beneath. I'm not sure how this wine would progress in the cellar, but it certainly offers some interest now. From my 2008 Loire wine tasting notes. 16/20 (July 2008)

2005

Jo Pithon Savennières La Croix Picot 2005: A very appealing depth of colour, with a straw yellow hue. The nose speaks very firmly of Chenin Blanc, with notes of honey (but not sweetness, if that is possible), minerals, candle wax and a little funk, which all sits beautifully interwoven with aromas of dried, very slightly sweet and candied fruit. It possesses a lovely, bright, intense. flavoursome, pure and unsullied character on the palate, showing a full body, with a firm, fresh, waxy, straw and golden fruit character. This mingles with a lovely minerality. Overall this is really very characterful, and it has a rich, firm, grippy finish. And a good length too, which just goes on and on. Firm and pure, with huge character, this is excellent. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 18.5/20 (April 2008)

2001

Jo Pithon Anjou Les Bergères 2001: A really deep, golden, shimmering hue. Very aromatic, rich and sweetened by a suggestions of botrytis. Quince and honey. Full bodied, structured, bone dry, but with lovely extract and flavour. It has a lovely honey-like palate-coating quality. Some characteristics derived from barrel maturation too. Delicious stuff. 17/20 (June 2004)

Jo Pithon Coteaux du Layon Les 4 Villages 2001: Moderate rich golden colour. A lovely nose, with botrytis richness wrapped around some fresh whites fruits. Lovely concentration on the palate, with a creamy mouthfeel offset by firm acidity. Good botrytis character adds to the sensation. Ripe white fruits. Deliciously voluptuous, yet balanced. Delightful. 17/20 (June 2004)

1997

Jo Pithon Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu 1997: One of the benchmarks for the appellation I am sure, it is a delight to taste this again. It still has that rich, burnished hue. The nose holds onto the botrytis infused aromas it displayed last time, with a rich core of quince and honey as well as new, deeper notes of golden syrup and pastry. Incredibly broad and mouthfilling, with an unctuous texture backed up by a spicy grip. I don't sense quite the same entwined and elegant balance as the last bottle, but the concentration is stunning. Wonderful, rich notes reminiscent of baklava, dripping with honey, which passes through the finish and lingers on the palate for a very long time. Very impressive. From a tasting of the 1997 Vintage at ten years of age. 18.5/20 (December 2007)

Jo Pithon Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu 1997: A deep, burnished orange-gold hue which holds a lot of promise. A superb nose, full of botrytis, orange and lemon-edged quince, honey and a smoky, minerally edge too. The palate is simply astounding, combining a delicate balance with a huge depth and superb concentration. A velvety, smooth texture, a little grip, but most of all a rarely experienced fluid elegance intertwined with a fine, complex richness. This is splendid. It demonstrates the magical combination of what a great domaine can produce when the vintage conditions are right - in the case of 1997, plentiful botrytis. 19/20 (June 2004)