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Wine Description
The Story
Legend has it that the Corton hillside was once planted exclusively with red grape variety and that Charlemagne himself had a penchant for these wines. Unfortunately, the red wine left scarlet stains in the Emperor's flowing beard and his wife feared that this would bring shame upon the royal dignity. Charlemagne therefore decided to pull out the red vines and replant the vineyards with white grape variety in order to continue drinking his favourite wine. The Faiveley family purchased this parcel in 1874 along with the Corton "Clos des Cortons Faiveley" Grand Cru Monopole. The two parcels are situated side by side just above Ladoix- Serrigny.
The grapes are harvested and sorted by hand. The musts are extracted using a pneumatic press before being settled. Vinification lasts 4 weeks and takes place in French oak barrels (50-60% of which are new oak) in our cellars at consistent, natural temperatures and hygrometry. The wines are stirred frequently in order to keep the wine in contact with the lees and then aged for 18 months. This enables them to retain excellent tension and aromatic complexity as well as a smooth, delicate palate.
Vintage 1996
1996 VINTAGE in Burgundy
Maturity levels were in general high following a long hot summer. The wines from the famous Pinot Noir have an intense ruby red colour with lush red fruit aromas. They are wines that are comparable with the outstanding 88s and 89s. The whites are just as outstanding full-bodied with elegant vibrant Chardonnay fruit and sweet white flower and grilled nut aromas. These are wines that have the potential to age magnificently.
Each harvest we hope for three things, favorable weather conditions, healthy grape clusters and high sugar levels. The 1996 harvest provided all of these. April was particularly sunny and brought about an early bud burst (18th of April). Following this we had what can be described as a flash flowering which leads to good pollination, creating high yields.
Arean had low rainfall levels, a sturdy breeze (which kept rot to a minimum) and a long ripening period. These factors created high sugar levels and good acidity within the grapes. Cloud cover in August, combined with the coldest September on record meant that the sugar levels were exceptionally high and so was the acidity: 12% potential alcohol with 5.5g of acidity for Corton Reds and 13%-14% potential alcohol with 6g of acidity for Corton Charlemagne.
As a result, most are very pleased with the 1996 vintage. The reds have an intense color, good tannin structure and concentrated Pinot Noir flavor. The white wines are also impressive, containing plenty of rich fruit character, a crisp acidity and are already showing an attractive bouquet.