2020 Domaine Francois Carillon 1er Cru Chassagne-Montrachet

Winemaker Notes:  The primary aromas of this white Burgundy are ample, with notes of white stone fruit highlighted by a summery minerality. Generous and flexible, it is a crowd-pleaser that can be enjoyed upon release. The vinification is done in the traditional Burgundian style, with fermentation taking place in small oak casks. The wine is aged in Allier oak.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Burghound - "François Carillon, brother of Jacques (see immediately below), now farms 17 ha (most of which is planted to chardonnay) as new vines were added by leasing 2 ha from Domaine Maroslavac-Léger. As such, Carillon has mostly ended his négociant activities. As to the 2020 vintage, Carillon told me that "from a growing season perspective, it was relatively easy as the hot and very dry conditions largely obviated any disease pressure save for a bit of oidium. Moreover, other than some early April frost scares, there were no climatic incidences of consequence. We began picking on the 17th of August in our most precocious sites and then seriously attacked the picking on the 19th. Yields were unfortunately, again relatively low as they averaged only 25 hl/ha with good but not high alcohols of 13 to 13.5%. Stylistically, 2020 gave us ripe but classic wines that are transparent and with excellent acidities so the wines should age effortlessly." While perhaps not quite as consistent from top to bottom as the 2019s, I found the Carillon 2020s to be generally quite good."