2013 Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Not surprisingly, Jacques Carillon prefers 2013 to 2014 for its balance and typical Burgundy character, as he generally finds more minerality in the cooler, higher-acid years. "The 2014s are more enveloping and flattering, while the '13s are more like the 2008s." But he considers 2014 to be "a very good vintage with good material," as crop levels for the premier crus were down 30% to 35% owing to hail and to the smaller size of the grapes. He harvested between September 10 and 16 in '14 with potential alcohol levels between 12.5% and 13% and chaptalized roughly half a degree. Carillon told me that following a débourbage lasting from 12 to 18 hours he begins with clear juice but that he then adds back a liter or two of lees per barrel. He generally stirs the lees every three weeks or so until the end of the malo but more like once a month for the 2014s.

In contrast to his brother Francois, Jacques Carillon's 2013s were going through long, late malos as of the time of my visit at the beginning of June (the Bourgogne Blanc was barely starting).Carillon told me that the crop levels of his crus were down 50% from normal in '13 owing to the cold weather during the flowering and the small size of the grapes."The 2012s are more fat and enveloping, and more concentrated, while the '13s are more taut," he said.I have opted not to publish notes on the 2013s that were not at least halfway through their secondary fermentations when I stopped by to taste.