His first solo vintage was 2006 from a cellar situated near the church in the centre of Chassagne. The first few years have produced wines of character and intensity, a change in style from those he made in St-Aubin, more restrained whilst in cask, less aromatic and obviously fruity but with fine depth and length on the finish.
Since 2006 no weedkillers have been used in the vineyards and in 2009 1 ha has been successfully cultivated organically. The experiment will continue on a bigger scale in 2010 and if successful, will be extended to the whole domaine. All vines are pruned by the single guyot method. Two ebour¬geonnages in spring control yields and so far there has been no need for a vendage verte. Pierre-Yves does not believe in an effeuillage, preferring to maximise the sugar¬-producing ability of the plant.
For the moment any vines that die are replaced using a selection massale made from cuttings of the healthiest, highest quality vines which are multiplied and grafted by a local pepinieriste before being returned to the domaine for planting.
There is only one red wine, the Santenay Champs Claude, so this is essentially a white wine domaine. The Chardonnay is pressed as whole bunches in one of the domaine's two pneumatic presses. Pierre-Yves believes in a lengthy pressing, at least three hours and at a relatively high pressure - over 2 bars. This level of pressure was normal 15 years ago before the introduction of pneumatic presses and Pierre-Yves believes the high pressure is important for avoiding premature oxidation. There is no debourbage of the juice, the must being relatively clear and Pierre-Yves preferring to include some solid matter in order to increase complexity and give additional depth to the wines. The wines are fermented with the indigenous yeasts in barrels sourced principally from Francois Freres and from Chassin, a small, recently established tonnellerie in Rully. Pierre-Yves prefers oak from the centre of France and uses 30% new barrels for all the range except the Batard-, which has 50%.
Pierre-Yves advocates using 350-litre casks as well as the traditional 228-litre piece. These give fresher wines with less impact of oak. At present nearly 80% of the barrels are the larger size. There is no battonage but the wines stay on their lees for at least 12 months before being racked. All the wines spend a second winter in cask but in the larger 350-litre casks, before being bottled some time between January and April, depending on the evolution of each wine. Pierre-Yves has not filtered any wines since 2001 and only fines when necessary.
The white wine style is rich yet elegant. Pierre-Yves does not like to chaptalise significantly, believing it to be a 'bad idea' to bump up the alcohol level to 13.5% in a cool summer. Thus in 2007, the village St-Aubin was only chaptalised from 12 to 12.4% and the Chassagne Cailleret, from 12.5 to 12.8%. The result is fresh, intense wines, not as fleshy as some but with fine length and above all, great drinkability.
Of the St-Aubin premiers crus, the richest is often La Chateniere, from a sheltered vineyard planted with 40-year-old vines. Even in a cool year such as 2007, the wine is ripe, round with a touch of honey. Leaner but finer with marvellous purity of fruit and a crisp minerality is En Remilly. Pierre-Yves has three parcels, all close to the Chassagne-Montrachet premier cru of the same name and not far from Chevalier-¬Montrachet. It is a glorious, harmonious wine of great finesse and a match for the domaine's Chassagne premiers crus.
Les Chenevottes has a good depth of soil and a north-easterly aspect. Both help in hot, dry years when vines on better-¬drained, south-facing slopes suffer from stress. It is always a rich, powerful wine with good weight and concentration. Les Caillerets is 40 m higher in altitude with stonier, chalk soil. The free-draining soils help in wetter summers and even in 2007 the ,wine is rich and concentrated with a fine balance of fruit and acidity.
Pierre-Yves has made a fine start to his solo career and produces some of the most interesting, characterful wines in the village.