2002 Corton Bressandes

Pale greyish crimson. Particularly pale rim. Not much nose. Juicy fruity impact on the front palate. Quite marked acidity. Desperately needs food. Really pretty drying on the end. I wonder whether there was ever a point at which this wine was in perfect balance? (JR)

A perfumed and notably floral nose that is just beginning to display some secondary development before sliding gracefully into attractively vibrant medium-bodied flavors that possess a really lovely mouth feel. There is a trace of Corton masculinity to the impressively long and mouth coating finish that possesses impeccably fine balance. To my taste this has arrived at its maturity inflection point, which is to say that it could easily be held for another 2 to 5 years to allow the finish to soften further but at the same time there would be no harm in cracking a bottle now; just be sure to give it a bit of air first.

Medium red. Very ripe, fresh, nuanced nose melds red cherry, raspberry, rose petal and earth, plus a whiff of caramel. Rich, sappy and vibrant, with a firm mineral spine contributing to the impression of delicacy and inner-mouth energy. Dense but not at all weighty. Impeccably balanced wine, finishing with subtle persistence and a palate-saturating dusting of ripe, fine tannins. A rare Burgundy steal at this price.