François Carillon, Puligny-Montrachet Clos du Vieux Château, Burgundy, France, 2021

Overview of the Wine
Everything starts in the vineyard. To get the best grapes as possible, François is deeply committed to a precise and environmental-friendly approach of vine-growing.
The vines are thus managed as naturally as possible.

Since 1992, weeds in all our parcels of vines are removed by plowing by tractor or horse, and no weed-killer is used. As our Head of Culture has been taking care of the same vines for almost 30 years, he has an exact knowledge of each parcels and can conduct specific actions so that the grapes can reflect precisely the terroir they grow on. Respect for the environment and living organisms is something François deeply believes in.

Only natural-origin products are used, and only when required. Moreover, instead of burning vine shoots as it is often the case in Burgundy, we process them into small chips, compost and spread them in the vines. Coupled with horse manure, they enrich the soil without using chemical fertilizers. The vineyard density is around 10000 vines per hectare, enabling them to extract plant food and water from the terroir of Puligny.
Pruning of the vine is performed manually (“Guyot” pruning) and yields are strictly controlled via disbudding as well as green harvesting. Grapes are harvested manually every year.

Grape / Blend
Chardonnay

Origin
Puligny-Montrachet, Burgundy, France

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
The name of Carillon is now synonymous with the best of Puligny-Montrachet. Louis Carillon continued his family’s centuries long tradition of producing excellent wines that focus on the taut minerality of Chardonnay from this famous village. In 2010 the estate was split between the brothers Jacque and François. Always one of the best Puligny villages, the 2021 from Francois is precise, elegant and delicious.

91 Points - Burghound
Note: from a .78 ha parcel that is a monopole of the domaine. This is aromatically similar to the straight Puligny villages but noticeably spicier. The plump, round and suave medium weight flavors possess fine volume and solid finishing punch on the sneaky long finish that is shaped by lemon-tinged acidity. This well-made effort isn't quite as complex but that may well change with a few years of cellaring. *Outstanding*

Product size: 750ml