Aromas of ripe citrus fruit, spices and honeycomb introduce the 2017 Chassagne-Montrachet Village, a medium to full-bodied, rich and gourmand wine with a fleshy core of fruit, succulent acids and nice balance for the near to medium-term.

From a new parcel of 35-year-old vines (0.5-hectares), the 2013 Chassagne-Montrachet Village was just a little reduced on the nose at the time I tasted it from barrel. The palate, which was more representative, is underpinned by crisp acidity: lime and orange zest, nicely focused, and just needs to develop a little more persistence on the finish. But otherwise this is a very decent debut.

The maiden 2012 Chassagne-Montrachet Village comes from Francois’ maternal side of the family, a 0.5-hectare single parcel from his grandfather. It also includes some young vines in Chenevottes that Francois is waiting to mature before it merits separate bottling. It is a little reticent on the nose and to be frank, it is difficult to discern much character at this stage. The palate is better with a crisp taut entry, but it feels a little hollow on the mid-palate and the finish needs more weight and presence. Straight after visiting his brother Jacques, I crossed the road to visit Domaine Francois Carillon. Francois began working with his father Louis at the domaine in 1988. While Jacques only sources fruit from his own vines, Francois’s modus operandi is slightly different since, as well as his own share of inherited vines, he vinifies fruit from contracted growers. He adopts a prudent approach to oak, adamantly stating that he never uses more than 25% and he did not purchase any new wood in 2012. His was a decent set of 2012s, although in this vintage they did not quite achieve the rarefied heights of his brother’s portfolio that generally demonstrated more precision and mineralite. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham and through Corney & Barrow (UK)