A Casual Visit to Domaine Thomas-Collardot

Visiting estates is becoming more and more a question of scheduling and advance planning. It seems like the casual visits are getting rarer, as people are getting increasingly stressed by the focus on their daily routine. This is understandable, yet I do like the spirit of a quick, casual tasting and chat.

In that spirit, last week I contacted Domaine Thomas-Collardot in Puligny-Montrachet for a small and casual rendez-vous.

In the preceding weeks, I had tasted a couple of the magnificent 2017s from Thomas-Collardot at La Cabotte in Nuits-Saint-Georges. They inspired me to mail Jacqueline and Matthieu Collardot to inquire if a visit was possible. Luckily it was; thanks.

The Thomas-Collardot estate

The Thomas-Collardot estate is a new domaine on the Puligny stage, started by Jacqueline Collardot and her son Matthieu a little more than five years ago.

See my previous articles here.

• Visit to Domaine Thomas-Collardot – Tasting the 2022s
• A Casual Visit to Domaine Thomas-Collardot
• Terroir Insight: Domaine Thomas-Collardot Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseignères
• Puligny Les Enseignères: Just below the grands crus
• Visit Domaine Thomas-Collardot – tasting the 2018s from cask
• Visit Domaine Thomas-Collardot – tasting the 2017s from cask
• Detailed info on Domaine Thomas Collardot

I have from the beginning liked the wines of Domaine Thomaså-Collardot – especially the village Pulignys, which have a great appeal for me. The wines are vivid, and the estate style has a lovely liveliness and informality. With Jacqueline and Matthieu, one feels welcome at this address.

When I buy a Thomas-Collardot wine I’m seeking a classic Puligny – the top end – with lively fruit (the emotional side) and a fine, detailed expression of terroir.

Many of the Thomas-Collardot wines are from generic and village terroirs, hence a wide range of terroir expressions, depending on the location on the slope. The best are fabulous and tremendous, and even the lesser maintain an impressive level.

This is why I buy the Thomas-Collardot wines when I find them in restaurants.

Casual talk, and vin de soif!

A casual rendez-vous is just a quick taste of some of the estate’s wines without tasting the full range. It’s a tasting of what’s in the fridge or at hand, without feeling any kind of obligation to serve the rare cuvees; just a nice chat about wine and the Burgundy scene.

Domaine Thomas-Collardot Bourgogne Blanc Les Poiriers 2020

The Bourgogne Petits Poiriers showed all the qualities I look for in a Thomas-Collardot wine: vividness, intensity, and the purity I have come to expect from this fine estate. Very good energy, as well as a bit of vin d’emotion brilliance.

(Drink from 2023) – Very Good – (87-88p) – Tasted 15/04/2022 –

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Domaine Thomas-Collardot Puligny-Montrachet La Rue aux Vaches 2020

This is a spicier, more floral Puligny village with magnificent length and intense fruit. It would work well with snails or lightly spicy pasta dishes – linguine and vongole with a hint of chili. It doesn’t have the pure grandeur of Les Houilères, but has more edge to complement the food.

(Drink from 2023) – Very Good – (89p) – Tasted 15/04/2022 –

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Domaine Thomas-Collardot Puligny-Montrachet Les Houilères 2020

The Houilères is more linear and purely flavoured. This is classic low-slope Puligny: magnificent, rich, and vivid. It would go well with lobster or turbot. Not extremely complex, but it is a truly hedonistic wine.

(Drink from 2030) – Fine – (90p) – Tasted 15/04/2022 –

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Domaine Thomas-Collardot Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Hameau de Blagny 2020

The Hameau de Blagny is showing very well. Thomas-Collardot seems to have optimized this cuvee, improving its phenolic ripeness, hence better expressing the terroir. It’s very intense and stony, with quite an edge and a beautiful nose. Again, this would work in the lobster or white fish category, with a rich sauce like Hollandaise or beurre blanc.

(Drink from 2033) – Fine+ – (92-93p) – Tasted 15/04/2022 –

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Domaine Thomas-Collardot Puligny-Montrachet Derrière La Velle 2019

This 2019 is somewhat on the more flamboyant side – but that’s 2019 in a nutshell. Also linear and purely flavoured, this is as well classic low-slope Puligny, with magnificent density, richness, and vividness. I would pair it with a seafood salad or pasta to bring out the hedonistic kick the ’19 offers.

(Drink from 2028) – Fine – (90p) – Tasted 15/04/2022 –

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Lastly, a photo of a lovely 2019: a blend of all the cuvees, bottled uniquely in magnum.