Winemaker Notes
One of the greatest wines of Burgundy, to be tasted with awe and reverence. It has an intense golden hue. On the nose, there are some subtle tones of rose, fresh almond, citrus, honey, exotic wood and spice. Majestic and well balanced on the palate. Generous and lively at the same time. Intense and complex aftertaste. All the aromas mingle and linger for quite a long time afterwards. A wine of undeniable majesty.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Showing strength with finesse throughout, this white offers wonderful tension, muscle and length. It's medium- to full-bodied with fine phenolics that add focus and intensity. Creamy at the end. Al-dente character with a thick grapeskin edge. Drink or hold.
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Jasper Morris
Pale lemon with a green edge. Drouhin’s 2023 Corton-Charlemagne has an explosive nose, the minerals surrounded by a ripe healthy fruit, some more exotic suggestions without going over the top. A little melon and passion fruit, tendrils of honeysuckle, but it all comes down to earth on the palate with a very long finish. Barrel Sample: 94-96
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Vinous
The 2023 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru hails from vines located on the eastern side in the lieu-dit of Les Longuettes. This has a fragrant bouquet with orchard fruit, crushed chalk and white flower notes that gain intensity in the glass. The palate is very well balanced with orange rind and tangerine tones. The vibrant, spicy, lemongrass-laced finish has a seductively waxy texture. This is excellent.
Range: 94-96 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Opening in the glass with notes of sweet citrus fruits, white flowers and freshly baked bread, the 2023 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (Domaine) is full-bodied, satiny and layered, with a deep core of fruit and a long, chalky finish.
Range: 93-95
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Prevailing over the charming village of Aloxe, the hill of Corton actually commands the entire appellation. Corton is the only Grand Cru for Pinot Noir in the entire Côte de Beaune. Its Grand Crus red wines can be described simply as “Corton” or Corton hyphenated with other names. These vineyards cover the southeast face of the hill of Corton where soils are rich in red chalk, clay and marl.
Dense and austere when young, the best Corton Pinot Noir will peak in complexity and flavor after about a decade, offering some of the best rewards in cellaring among Côte de Beaune reds. Pommard and Volnay offer similar potential.
The great whites of the village are made within Corton-Charlemagne, a cooler, narrow band of vineyards at the top of the hill that descends west towards the village of Pernand-Vergelesses. Here the thin and white stony soils produce Chardonnay of exceptional character, power and finesse. A minimum of five years in bottle is suggested but some can be amazing long after. Fully half of Aloxe-Corton is considered Grand Cru.