2016 Corton Charlemagne

Green-tinged yellow. Very ripe aromas of apple, orange peel soaked in sugar, and spices, enlivened by white pepper and a positive vegetal nuance ("one smells the humidity of the west side of the hill but also feels the grape skins," notes Saouma). At once sappy and weightless, with its seamless soft citrus and complex spice flavors energized by active limestone. Really splendid focus and inner-mouth tension here. The rising, unflagging finish is utterly pristine, with the energy of the underlying limestone giving razor-sharp clarity to the exotic spice and orange notes. This sappy yet weightless Corton-Charlemagne boasts great finesse and purity: one can feel the freshness of the mother rock.