2004 Corton Charlemagne 0,75 l Domaine Bouchard
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Tasting notes
Pale, bright color. A quintessence of Corton-Charlemagne dirt on the nose: stone fruits, lemon, iodine, ginger, minerals and mint, all complicated by a musky, leesy note that reminded me of a Coche-Dury wine. Then compellingly dense and penetrating in the mouth, with captivating, soil-driven flavors of raw pineapple, white peach, white flowers and crushed rock; a sulfidey complexity and a saline element add to the wine's spectacular subtle complexity. Hardly a blockbuster but conveys an impression of great solidity. This remarkably precise wine coats the palate with dusty stone and leaves behind a suggestion of honey. My sample at Bouchard in early June was painfully young and closed though obviously outstanding, but this bottle, tasted in New York in August, was spectacular. (Incidentally, my following notes on the Chevalier-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet La Cabotte and Montrachet were from bottles tasted at Bouchard-also quite backward at the time-and I would expect my scores to prove to be conservative.)
Critic scores
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Very attractive nuttiness. Very try to the appellation, with real depth of flavour. Corton seems to have been well flavoured in 2004. Quite rich and already some evolution. (JR)
Very backward on the nose, hinting at lime blossom, mint and cold steel. Then steely and penetrating in the mouth, with pear and nutmeg flavors framed by bracing acidity. This, too, possesses noteworthy density and sweetness, not to mention strong underlying minerality, but is all potential today. Very long on the aftertaste. Prost says the alcoholic fermentation only finished in May.
Green apple, white pear and hint of crushed herb are framed by gentle notes of pain grillé that combine with huge and unbelievably intense flavors blessed with phenomenal power and length. This has that wow factor as the flavors are both palate staining and almost painfully intense and the finale is like a block of stone. Allen Meadows, Burghound. Jul01,2006