2008 Corton Charlemagne
Estimated value
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Tasting notes
Pale bright yellow Knockout high-pitched nose seduces with scents of violet, lavender, lemon, crushed stone, mint, cinnamon and ginger; this could be bottled as perfume. Then wonderfully rich, pure and deep but youthfully tight, with compelling aromatic lift to the citrus, spice and mineral flavors. Really explosively rich but somehow weightless. Finishes with superb length and aromatic class. I'd lay this down for five to seven years. In recent years, this has been a consistently spectacular grand cru-and a relative value.
Critic scores
Average Score
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
This is a classic example of Corton-Charlemagne with its impressively layered floral, green fruit, lime and stone-infused nose that precedes citrusy, precise and powerful mineral-driven flavors that possess real muscle on the almost painfully intense and steely finish that delivers striking length. While it's not quite as great as the Montrachet, it easily holds its own. A wine to own but note that only the patient will ever see it at its best as this is likely to evolve glacially. *Don't Miss!*
Direct, determined, serious. Rather hidden at the moment but a good deal more to come from this closed book. (JH)
Slightly cloudy following the recent end of the malolactic fermentation. Musky aromas of lemon, lime and crushed stone. Dense and vibrant but inexpressive, showing a distinctly tactile, almost phenolic, texture and a cool spearmint quality. The long, rising finish reveals a slight youthful bitterness but gives no impression of excess weight. "Not a white wine," observes winemaker Prost. "It has the structure of a red and needs long elevage
About the producer
Bouchard Père & Fils is one of Burgundy’s oldest and most established wine producers. Founded in 1731 by Michel Bouchard, it is the largest vineyard owner in the Côte d’Or with 130 hectares of vines.