2009 Corton Charlemagne

The 2009 Corton-Charlemagne comes across as quite pretty, understated and accessible. There is a plushness to the fruit that makes the Corton-Charlemagne appealing, even at this stage. Layers of tropical fruit meld into French oak and spices on the supple, engaging finish.

The 2009 Corton-Charlemagne comes across as quite pretty, understated and accessible. There is a plushness to the fruit that makes the Corton-Charlemagne appealing, even at this stage. Layers of tropical fruit meld into French oak and spices on the supple, engaging finish. Anticipated maturity: 2013+. Vincent Girardin is among the producers who have made the most dramatic changes in response to the issue of premature oxidation. Girardin has increased the amount of time his wines spend on their lees, has lowered new oak, has eliminated batonnage and has basically re-built his entire approach from the bottom up, which I have to say, is quite impressive. The 2009s were harvested beginning on September 15, with natural alcohols in the 12.5-13% range. The wines were bottled between mid-March and mid-May 2011. Today the 2009s are quite fresh and still showing some of the effects of their recent bottling. It is safe to say the wines Girardin is making today are quite different from those of the past. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802

Bright yellow. Complex nose melds peach, lemon, nutmeg and crushed stone. Penetrating and pure, with superb energy and lift to its flavors of apple, spices and crushed stone. Strongly minerally but not austere, thanks to the richness of the year. This broad but weightless wine finishes with terrific sappy persistence.