x
  • Country ranking ?

    1 053
  • Producer ranking ?

    10
  • Decanting time

    2h
  • When to drink

    now to 2035
  • Food Pairing

    steamed mussels and chorizo

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

Close

The Story

The Corton and Corton-Charlemagne vineyards are situated in one single block, though they straddle the notional border between Pernand-Vergelesses and Aloxe-Corton. They stretch between ‘En Charlemagne’, next to Pernand-Vergelesses, and ‘Le Charlemagne’, towards Aloxe-Corton. To have a plot of vines of this size in one contiguous block is unusual in the extreme, but that it should be the original plot, owned by the Emperor Charlemagne, is absolutely extraordinary.

 

Bonneau du Martray’s Corton-Charlemagne is a difficult wine to describe. This is particularly true when it is young. It can take a decade before it will say something more than “Stony. Wait.” But even with age it does not bloom in the same manner as the Montrachets do. In a way, it tastes like theoretical astronomy: we know that black matter exists, we can sense it, but we have no manifest proof of it. It’s a very beautiful agony.

 

In Making Sense of Burgundy, the best modern prose written about Burgundy, Matt Kramer is similarly cryptic: “Corton-Charlemagne is a wine of texture. It should give the sensation of heaviness without actually being heavy. Each mouthful is its own universe of flavor, never capable of being fully explored… Although Chardonnay has proven the ideal vehicle, one is not drinking Chardonnay with Corton-Charlemagne: One is drinking terroir.”

 

Even Jean-Charles, who has been at the domaine for every harvest but one since 1969, struggles to explain the mystery of his vineyard. “Something in Corton-Charlemagne fills your palate, but it changes very quickly into something impalpable. What is it made of? It’s difficult to qualify. It doesn’t saturate, it doesn’t blanket, nothing occupies a space of overt power, yet, at the same time, it is incredibly intense. It’s a very real sensation, but it doesn’t fit with the usual descriptions of wine… It is equally as impressive as the Montrachets. But it is of a different order.”

 

For lack of words, Jean-Charles has turned to painting: “Montrachet reminds me of Veronese: sumptuous, full, but at the same time balanced. Rubens comes to mind for Bâtard-Montrachet: the sensuality. But when I think of Corton-Charlemagne I have to go to a very different place. I find that Vermeer expresses it perfectly. His subjects are modest, nothing really: a girl with a turban, a woman reading a letter. And what is revelatory is only the light. That’s what is happening, I think, in Corton-Charlemagne.”

 

There’s more to it than analogy. With its west-facing slopes, Corton-Charlemagne is actually —physically— a wine born of unusual light. “I don’t know what effect it has on the vines”, Jean-Charles says, “but they function by photosynthesis. If they are getting good light, there’s a good chance that they are responding sympathetically.”

Close

Latest Pro-tasting notes

<10 tasting notes

Tasting note

Be the first one to make a 20s tasting note!

Written Notes

Served blind. Pale lemon yellow. Citrus, minerals, orange blossoms, detailed, ever so slightly yellow fruity nose, layered and nuanced nose, gorgeous. Fresh acidity, rounded, fruity, detailed, almost tender attack before quite intense mid palate and finish, some tropical notes in the finish, long. 95

  • 95p
Load more notes

Information

Origin

PERNAND-VERGELESSES , Burgundy

Highlights

Latest news

WINERY NEWS Méo-Camuzet / The 2020 a very special vintage, which has been bottled, after a few logistical disorders (see   more ...
WINERY NEWS Château Lascombes / Ornellaia's Axel Heinz Will Become CEO of Château Lascombes Gaylon Lawrence and Carlton  more ...
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS Château Cos d’Estournel vertical / by Izak Litwar
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS TASTINGBOOK “TASTED” AND RATED 100 TOP WINES FROM BORDEAUX 2022 VINTAGE! / The assessment has been made by the tastingbook's artificial intelligence.
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS Novidades in the Port world: / 50 year old Tawny and 50 year old White Port
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS CHAMPAGNE -HALL OF FAME 2022 / by Champagne Magazine and Tastingbook
WINERY NEWS Gaja / Vintage Report 2022 The 2022 vintage was characterized by a constant, wide drought and by an incr  more ...
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS Gaja's Idda wine project in Sicily? / Tasting with Giovanni Gaja
WINERY NEWS Weingut Robert Weil / A milestone in the history of the Rheingau Riesling dry! 98/100 Points!   "Produced   more ...
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS NEW: TASTINGBOOK PRESENTATION AND INSTRUCTIONS! / tastingbook.info
WINERY NEWS Torbreck / JAMES SUCKLING | OCTOBER 2022 BY TORBRECK VINTNERS By James Suckling, October 2022 www  more ...
WINERY NEWS Bodegas Roda / Bodegas RODA launches its first white wine: RODA I Blanco   The winery from Barrio de   more ...
WINE NEWS: Rare Rose 2012 / Rare Champagne releases Rare Rosé Millésime 2012 & Magnum Millésime 2006   more ...
WINERY NEWS Château Lascombes / Ornellaia's Axel Heinz Will Become CEO of Château Lascombes Gaylon Lawrence and Carlton  more ...
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS Gaja’s Super Barbaresco / By Juha Lihtonen
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS PENFOLDS COLLECTION 2022 / by Andrew Caillard MW
TASTINGBOOK WINE NEWS BWW 2022 – The Best Wine Critics of the World  / TOP 30
WINERY NEWS Château Lafleur / “Twenty twenty-one has a multi-vintage profile; it is difficult to summarise. It was key to re  more ...

Wine Moments

Here you can see wine moments from tastingbook users. or to see wine moments from your world.
Incorrect Information
If you found some information that is wrong, let us know
Are you sure you want do delete this wine? All information will be lost.
Are you sure you want to recommend this wine?
Are you sure you want hide this written note ?
Are you sure you want show this written note ?
UPGRADE MEMBER PLAN
Upgrade your membership now, it's quick and easy. We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards. Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal. You can cancel your membership at any time.
Thank you for your support!
 

Member

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

 

HOW TO USE TASTINGBOOK?

We recommend you to share few minutes for watching the following video instructions of how to use the Tastingbook. This can provide you a comprehensive understanding of all the features you can find from this unique service platform.

This video will help you get started



Taste wines with the Tastingbook


Create Your wine cellar on 'My Wines'



Explore Your tasted wines library



Administrate Your wine world in Your Profile



Type a message ...
Register to Tastingbook
Sign up now, it's quick and easy.
We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards.
Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal, where you can sign up for a free 7-day trial period. You can cancel your membership at any time. We wish you a rewarding journey to the world of Fine Wines.

Free 7 days Member trial

 

Member

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

  Register