2022 Chassagne-Montrachet Village

“The harvest started on September 2,” Jacques Carillon told me once I had said bonjour to his cat. (Go to the church in the heart of Puligny and you will find him purring by the window opposite, although I am reliably informed that his feline friend went to cat heaven in the summer.) “The wines in 2023 are less concentrated and more approachable compared to the 2022. The Premier Crus are raised in 20% new oak, 15% for the Village Crus. The 2023s will be bottled in March.”

Carillon’s two Abyssian cats were basking in the window, soaking up the unseasonal warm autumn weather inside his maison opposite the winery. I never knew he was a cat-lover. As usual, my tasting at this address was short due to the small number of cuvées. Carillon picked from August 26 to 31, which he said was very rare. “There was a bit of stress amongst the Premier Cru,” Carillon explains as he climbs up and down the ladders to dunk the pipette into the stainless-steel vats, “but the 30mm of rain at the end of July helped. The alcohol level in the end was around 13.5%. The 2022s will be racked in January and bottled afterwards.” Apart from his solitary Grand Cru, Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet, the Puligny Les Referts shines brightest at this prenatal stage, whereas the warm summer denied Champs Canet the tension one expects.