2006 Corton Charlemagne

That the team at Bouchard presents their 2006 Corton-Charlemagne for tasting last of all certainly reflects confidence in their holdings (high up in a southeast-facing original “Le Corton”) as well as in their affinity for the site. Grapefruit, lime, yellow plum, and chalk in the nose lead to a pungent, tart concentration of citrus and pit fruit essences and an implacable stoniness that leave the palate stained, yet all the while invigorated. In fact, this leaves one’s tongue positively aquiver. It needs some years to really show what is at present only incipient complexity, but exhibits a balanced youthful intensity that promise well over a decade of positive evolution. Certainly an investment in a bottle or two of this represents a bargain when compared with its grand cru siblings from further south. In keeping with what he says are his usual intuitions, Philippe Prost picked early – bringing in Chardonnay ahead of Pinot Noir for the first time at Bouchard since 1989 – so as to retain freshness as well as what he termed “the sense of minerality in a vintage of very ripe fruit. But in 1989,” he hastens to add, “yields were perhaps overly generous, whereas in 2006 they are quite reasonable.” The results are consistently impressive. New barrels are generally “seasoned” here through use in wines of lesser appellation (other portions of which are frequently raised in tank), as Prost prefers to employ second year barrels for most of his crus. Injections of inert gas at bottling are among the techniques being used to protect the young wines here from oxidation. Importer: Henriot, Inc, New York, NY

Highly complex but reticent nose combines citrus peel, wet stone and spices. Silky on entry, then wonderfully dense and ripe but classically dry in the middle, with outstanding sap and energy to the lemon, stone and violet flavors. As generous and expressive as this is now in the middle palate, it also has terrific spine for aging. Bouchard's Corton-Charlemagne has consistently been one of my favorite white Burgundies in recent vintages, and it's a relative value compared to grand crus from the Montrachet neighborhood.

A reserved, indeed even reluctant nose of fresh and stony green fruit and citrus aromas that offer real depth leads to precise, minerally and exceptionally powerful full-bodied flavors that possess huge amounts of dry extract on the hugely long finish. This is still sorting itself out but the quality of the raw materials is impeccable and it possesses impressive potential, which will require at least a decade to realize. One of the finest examples from this appellation in the 2006 vintage.