Domaine Ballot-Millot

The domaine can trace its roots back in Burgundy almost 400 years and officially Charles is the fifteenth generation of his family to take up the mantle of vigneron. Since those early days in the 1630s (!) the domaine has evolved rather a lot and acquired various parcels from various sources, though perhaps more through the maternal side of the family than the paternal side. Charles Ballot’s grandfather was a Ballot, his grandmother a Millot but then, on his mother’s side, he is also linked to the Lochardet and Dancer families, and it’s for that reason that he shares the Tête du Clos part of Morgeot with his cousins, Vincent Dancer and Armand Heitz (Lochardet).

Charles took over from his father Philippe Ballot at the start of the new Millenium, although his father was still quite youthful at that time. But it was clear even then that Charles was destined to do something special at the domaine so why delay? As they say, if you’re good enough you’re old enough! Twenty years on and Charles has firmly established himself as one of the top names of Meursault. He has around 10 hectares of which about 20% are red. He also has a good smattering of old vines.

Wines spend 12 months in barrel and then a further 4-6 months in steel so that they get a second winter in the cellar. He is quite sparing with new oak, generally keeping to 15/20%. He likes to work with lees to keep his wines in a slightly reductive state during élevage.