DOMAINE
FRANÇOIS CARILLON

This new addition to the Carillon line-up is a négociant bottling, from vines in the village of Mâcon-Igé, where Domaines Leflaive also makes a wine. Aromas of hay and chalky minerality lead into a palate of fresh white peach fruit. A small proportion of new oak has brought a nice fleshiness to the mid-palate. Just over 3,000 bottles have been made.

This exciting new addition comes from the limestone slopes of Montagnac, north of Nîmes, in the foothills of the Cévennes mountains. The climate here is Mediterranean – it’s a long way from Puligny! The vines, at 250 metres above sea level, were planted in 1990. As the name suggests, Cap au Sud is a southern wine – with the perfume, richness and joyful stone-fruit that entails. Crucially, it has enjoyed the domaine’s classical élevage, back in Puligny-Montrachet. The use of 20% new oak for 11 months has rounded out the palate, bringing substance and presence to this early-drinking charmer. 13.5% abv.

Made from the Aligoté doré clone, this wine is a selection from parcels in Puligny-Montrachet and Corpeau, near Chassagne-Montrachet. Bright, crisp orchard fruit, with expressive ripe green apple, finishing with a bite of fine chalky minerality. It remains in 500L barrels for around a year, with no new oak.

François Carillon’s Côte d’Or Chardonnay comes from five hectares, spread over various plots in Puligny-Montrachet. Highly classical aromas of white flowers and flinty minerality. The palate opens with an acid-driven crunch, apple and pear fruit giving way on the mid-palate to fleshier stone-fruit, with granular salty minerality running throughout. Aged in oak barrels, 10% new oak. 

Once again, this was so good, we have decided to bottle it under our own ‘C&B partnership’ label. François Carillon’s Côte d’Or Chardonnay comes from five hectares, spread over various plots in Puligny-Montrachet. Highly classical aromas of white flowers and flinty minerality. The palate opens with an acid-driven crunch, apple and pear fruit giving way on the mid-palate to fleshier stone-fruit, with granular salty minerality running throughout. Aged in oak barrels, 10% new oak. The total production? 2021 bottles!

This vineyard overlooks the grands crus of Puligny-Montrachet and is over the road from Les Champs Gains. The name refers to the vineyard’s stones being as sharp as dogs’ teeth. 2013 was François’ first vintage from this 0.67 hectare parcel. Aromas of pastry and white flowers, leading into a palate of white peach fruit, with a flamboyant grapefruit flair. Pliant and approachable, finishing pithy and salty.

The domaine’s holding in Champs-Gain is a steeply sloping two-hectare plot, planted with 50+ year old vines, high on the slope alongside St-Aubin Murgers Dents de Chien. Citrussy and tensile, grapefruited and steely – this has the driven acidity of 2021, with a gratifying ripeness. A third was vinified in large 350 litre barrels and the rest in standard 228 litre pièces. 10% new oak. Just four barrels were made.

François has 0.74 hectares of Perrières, spread over two plots, one of which is over 50 years old and the other was planted in 1973. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this was tightly coiled when we tasted it in autumn 2022, the fine citrus fruit and steely acidity pointing to a wine that will slowly unwind over the next decade and more. 10% new oak. Only three barrels have been made.

This is on the northern (Puligny) side of the village, from a similar terroir to Perrières in Puligny, according to François, with little soil above the bedrock. In the words of winemaker Thomas Pascale, this is “the very best of the [domaine’s] Chassagnes”. This tends to be generous and giving in style, with excellent ageability. Sadly, we did not get to taste it at the time of our visit in autumn 2022.

The domaine’s Bourgogne Pinot Noir is a wine of upfront red cherry and raspberry fruit in the 2021 vintage, sustained by fresh acidity. An elegant Pinot Noir for early drinking, with pretty raspberry perfume lingering on the finish.