2011 Corton Charlemagne

The 2011 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has a relatively deep straw color. The nose is well-defined. It demonstrates a lot of oak at the moment, though there appears to be sufficient fruit to absorb it given three or four years in bottle. The palate is medium-bodied with a keen line of acidity. Again, the new oak is playing a key role here and tends to smother the terroir and personality of Corton-Charlemagne. That said, it remains a pleasurable white Burgundy with respectable delineation on the finish, though it would benefit from more persistency. Drink 2015+. I have regularly tasted the wines from Maison Ambroise since I commenced the raft of Burgundy tastings in London. Bertrand Ambroise took over the running of the ancient Primeaux-Prissey- based negociant in 1987, and whenever I have met him, he seems to be a conscientious vigneron that cares deeply for his wine. The tenets here are all admirable: organic viticulture, handpicked fruit, rigorous sorting, minimal use of sulphur and so forth. But – and it is a big “but” – I have consistently found the wines to be smothered in superfluous new oak and at a time when many growers are generally reconsidering, and in many cases retreating from, its usage. Tasting through their 2011s seemed to say more about the cooperage than the individuality of the terroirs. Here, 100% new oak is used for both the premier and grand cru wines and it rendered them uniform and even a little passe. There is clearly high quality fruit here and there is also a keen focus upon creating the best wines possible. However, I have always felt that if Ambroise could dial down that new oak (not eradicate it completely) to a level commensurate with the fruit concentration in each cuvee, they would reveal far more personality. Still, there are some good wines to be found such as the Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Vaucrains and a respectable Corton-Rognets. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083