2015 Corton Les Marechaudes

Sumptuously ripe nose but I do seek just a tad more freshness. But it's pure flattery! Great for grand cru burgundy lovers in a hurry. Hint of violets. NB suggested drinking dates. (JR)

(13.8% alcohol; 70% vendange entier ; from soil rich in iron and clay): Bright ruby-red. Crushed red cherry and a touch of dried flowers on the nose. Densely packed, fine-grained and very ripe but with a more restrained sweetness than the estate's premier crus, no doubt due in part to the greater use of stems. But this is deeper. Finishes with a firm spine of ripe, chewy, pliant tannins and excellent length.

The 2015 Corton Les Marechaudes Grand Cru is lovely, wafting from the glass with a rich bouquet of cassis, asphalt, grilled squab, dark chocolate and black cherry. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and layered, with excellent volume, depth and dimension, its chassis of fine tannins framing a deep core of smoky black fruit and asserting itself on the youthfully chewy finish. This is another of Chandon de Briailles' 2015s that evokes the 1990 vintage in personality. Apr 2018, www.robertparker.com