1996 Corton Charlemagne
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Tasting notes
Displaying a lively, rich, pear compote and mineral-laden nose, the Corton-Charlemagne soars with terrific richness, amazing focus, class and exquisite balance. This full-bodied, highly intricate, and oily-textured wine is filled with peaches, minerals and white flowers that seem to last forever in this gem's exceedingly long finish. Girardin's only white grand cru, it combines the depth of ripe fruit expected from a first-rate Corton-Charlemagne from a ripe year, with the precision and focus that is 1996's trademark. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2010+. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel (205) 980-8802. Note: Vincent Girardin sells wines under the Baron de la Charriere label to European Cellars (Eric Solomon, tel (212) 924-4949). The wines marked with an asterisk (*) indicate that the same vineyard designation can be found through European Cellars, but the wine may not be the same as those listed here as Eric Solomon selects his barrels.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Pierre Rovani
More reviews and scores
Nuts, smoke, spices, flowers, and almost candied ripeness on the nose. Thick and sweet in the mouth, with a strong flavor of pineapple. Superb ripe acids give the wine excellent definition and intensify the flavors. Large-scaled but already filled in. Very long, powerful, nuanced back end. The strong acidity of the wine has already absorbed the new oak, says Girardin.