One of the great white wines of the world, Corton Charlemagne has the ability to be enjoyed young while still having the capability to age for decades.
It can have all the power of a Montrachet, but at its best will possess a minerality and a laser-like precision that provides great length.
2020 was the fourth in a row of warm, dry vintages that will probably be the new normal due to global warming I hesitate to say we are ‘used to it’ but we are no longer surprised and have made adjustments, particularly in vinfication. We are very happy with the result, but throughout the winemaking and the élevage we were cautious in our optimism. We had no winter, an early bud break and uneven flowering. We were worried about the heat and the lack of rain in the context of an expected small crop but the wines held up well. The cool nights helped and we are fortunate that our Pinot vines (except for Volnay 1er cru cuvée) average 60 years old with deep roots. We started picking on August 20th and finished the reds three days later. We even picked Corton Charlemagne (on the Pernand-Vergelesses side) on August 27th. Despite the ripeness, the grapes had excellent energy and the phenolic profile was well evolved. Even with 14 percent alcohols our wines finished with pH’s as low or lower than the four previous years. As we have practiced in recent vintages we exclusively used remontage during most of the vinification and finished with pigeages because we can better control finalizing extraction that way. We used less whole bunch than typical (about 10 – 15%) mainly because the style of vintage didn’t invite attenuation or distraction of any type. Vinification was relatively short, but at least 16 days. Malo was short and finished early. In the end we have very rich, even powerful, wines whose terroir is nevertheless unmistakable. We think the low pH and total acidity preserves that distinction. We ended up with 22 hl/ha for the reds and 35 hl/ha for the whites. For us 2020 combines elements of 2019, 2018 and 2003 – the best of those vintages. For those of a certain age I’m reminded of 1964.
The vineyard itself is nearly 72 hectares and our portion is 0.30 hectares of 45 year old vines on the Pernand-Vergelesses side facing west, with a high proportion of limestone and marl.
A beautiful golden color leads to exotic aromas of citrus, pear and peach. The full rich body possesses a stony minerality that leads to a very long finish.
Ideally served at 12 C/54 F, this is a white wine that has the structure to work well with well-seasoned fish including sea bass, halibut, scallops, snails and mussels, as well as with and rich cheeses, including Saint Andre, Ementaller, Delice de Bourgogne, and Comte.
