Philippe Pacalet

The beautiful story of Philippe Pacalet

Who says nephew of Marcel Lapierre, says sensitivity to free wines in the genes.
It is therefore quite naturally that Philippe Pacalet takes the road to become a natural winegrower in his turn. He will study while training with his uncle, then he will meet the very great Mr. Jules Chauvet. This meeting will help him in the search for indigenous yeasts, until the disappearance of the latter. Surrounded by the precursors of natural wine in Beaujolais, Philippe has already been able to create a respected image in this particular wine world. This is how he was able to join the renowned Prieuré-Roch estate. A trust was then established with Henry-Frédéric Roch. Philippe Pacalet carries out the vinification of the wines from 1991 to 2001. A freedom that will guide him throughout his career, a desire to make wines that reflect a land (terroir), a climate. Despite his friendships and his roots in Beaujolais, Philippe Pacalet knows that in Burgundy, fine wines are made, elegant wines.
It was therefore in 2001 that he moved to Beaune. Given the prices, he decides to take over rented plots in the Chablis region. His trading activity was then born, it was something a bit new at the time. It is another way of making wine, Philippe Pacalet does not own the plots but he is under contract with producers. He will therefore do the work in the vineyard for some, give advice on production, cultivation, vinification, and for others, he buys the entire harvest. These are contracts but above all valuable exchanges for the concerned parties.
Philippe Pacalet therefore produces wines from the terroirs of Côtes de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin, Aloxe-Corton, Pommard, Chambolle-Musigny, Côtes de Beaune , Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, etc... Appellations as prestigious and elegant. It is today more than 18 hectares exploited, more than 70,000 bottles per year. But Philippe did not stop at Burgundy. An unavoidable fan of Syrah, he came to get Cornas grapes. Forgetting Beaujolais, he also vinifies grapes from the Moulin à Vent, Chenas appellation.
A list of appellations as exceptional as the talent of Philippe Pacalet.

Winemaking seen by Philippe Pacalet

To allow the terroir he has carefully selected to express itself as well as possible, Philippe Pacalet uses the best techniques in terms of winemaking. Techniques that he was able to experiment with throughout his career, notably at the Prieuré-Roch estate, which he was able to have validated by Jules Chauvet, his uncle Marcel Lapierre. Between tradition and modernity, Philippe Pacalet has established himself as one of the pioneers of clean winemaking.
He therefore works in whole bunches, in frustoconical wooden vats, with punching down. The key stage is in the ageing, which can last between 15 and 18 months. Pacalet's advantage? Sulfur-free vinification.
A rigorous work that determines all the know-how of this maestro. Today, Philippe Pacalet has more than 25 different crus, all produced with an artisanal approach.

At Epicurieux, in the showroom, we are lucky to have a few bottles from a great gentleman.
Do not hesitate to contact us to find out more about availability.