From: Côte d'Or, Burgundy, France
Varietal: Chardonnay

Tasting Notes and Critical Acclaim: Golden and luminous in color, this brilliant wine shows aromas of yellow citrus confit, poached pear, and yellow peach skin interlaced against more voluptuous fruit and heaven-aspiring white florals amidst a salty mineral backdrop. The palate unfolds with persistent notes of soft peach, baked pear, spiced apple, and piquant citrus that reign in those more opulent fruit flavors for a finish that ends with freshness and a touch of charming rusticity.

“A notably ripe yet still nicely fresh nose combines notes of both white and yellow peach with those of citrus confit. The succulent, even opulent, middle weight flavors terminate in a bitter lemon and slightly tangy finish where a touch of rusticity emerges.” —Burghound (June 2022)

”Pale lemon yellow, not quite so immediate as the Aligoté yet there is more weight of fruit on the palate. A Chardonnay from below Puligny with plenty of volumes, white fruit. An excellent example, with the right body and good persistence.” –Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy, 89-90 points (November 2021)

“A clear pale colour, a sunny but balanced fruit with just a little bacon note from the sunshine, but clean fresh acidity behind. Good length, very attractive. Drink from 2023-2025.” —Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy, 89 points (October 2022)

Pairing: This wine’s texture and bright acidity make it a wonderful match for a range of food pairings. Try it with dishes like butter-poached lobster, pan-seared scallops in a butter sauce, classic roasted chicken preparations, or savory mushroom-driven dishes, not to mention recipes that revolve around caramelized onions and/or leeks. We recommend enjoying this bottle with the following recipe by Renée Erickson for Bon Appétit!

Fettuccine with Crab, Crème Fraîche, Lemon, and Tarragon
By Renée Erickson

About. Many thanks to the importer, Vineyard Brands, for the following information.
Winemaking tradition has been passed down from father to son in the Carillon family since 1632, when a Carillon viticulteur was recorded, and even since 1520 when Jean Carillon is mentioned in archives. The family still occupies the same site as they did then in Puligny-Montrachet, between the church and the old château that belonged to the original nobles of the village. The domaine’s cuverie is built with the stones of the old château. Over the years, additional buildings throughout the village were added to the Carillon's holdings and converted to winemaking facilities and the domaine acquired holdings in Chassagne-Montrachet.

François Carillon started looking after the family vineyards in 1988 and worked together with his father, Louis, and brother, Jacques, until 2010, when the estate was split between the two brothers. Since the creation of his own wine estate in 2010, François Carillon has become a renowned reference in Puligny-Montrachet for the refinement of his wines. Supported by a dynamic and cohesive team of a dozen people, François deploys his energy and enthusiasm to continually increase his products’ quality and elegance. He ensures the future of the vineyard by transmitting his know-how and love of his work to his four children.

François’ passion has always been in the vineyard, and he strives to provide optimal ingredients for the cellar. He farms 16 hectares of vines located in Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, and Saint-Aubin. The estate produces about seventeen (depending on the harvests) different wines, mainly in Chardonnay. Between passion and precision, the ambition of the François Carillon Domaine is to produce fine, elegant and gourmet wines, representative of the exceptional terroirs from which they come.

Farming is done in accordance with the lutte raisonée philosophy, so treatments are only used in extreme circumstances. Ploughing is done using horse or tractor, and weed-killers are avoided. Vines are pruned manually and yields are strictly controlled through a combination of de-budding and green harvesting. The domaine's Head of Culture has been taking care of the same vines for almost 30 years, and thus conducts specific actions to ensure that the grapes can reflect precisely the terroir they grow on.

White wines chez François Carillon are made in the traditional Burgundy style, with fermentation in small oak casks. The wines are aged in Allier oak, 10-25% of which is new, with 10-15% for the villages and up to 25% for the premiers crus. The entire process is best described as “classic,” with the wines showing extremely deft use of oak. The domaine produces Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, villages Puligny-Montrachet, several Puligny-Montrachet Premier Crus, villages ChassagneMontrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Crus, a SaintAubin Premier Cru, and Bourgogne Chardonnay and Aligoté.

The 2020 François Carillon Bourgogne Côte d’Or Blanc comes from three clay-limestone plots: two located in Puligny-Montrachet and one in Meursault, with an average vine age of 37 to 59 years. Following the harvest, the wine is taken directly to ferment in small oak barrels (10% new), where it spends nearly a year and undergoes a light bâtonnage. It is blended and bottled about 16 months after harvest.