2020 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Corton-Charlemagne

The 2020 Corton-Charlemagne once again gives the Montrachet a run for its money. Aromatically penetrating and vibrant, the 2020 offers up a compelling mix of lemon peel, white flower, almond, white pepper and a host of bright, saline notes. The 2020 oozes class and precision from the very first taste. It's another wine I went back to many times over the course of this tasting. The 2020 is very clearly Corton-Charlemagne, but also very clearly a DRC white. In this vintage, the domaine used all four of its plots (spread across various locations on the Corton hill in the Le Charlemagne and En Charlemagne lieux-dits) and relied on slightly larger 300L barrels. In a word: magnificent!

Pale gold. Light nose of lemon and blossom. Great structure and delineation of acidity with a slightly sweet palate entry and only medium apparent weight despite the alcohol level. This is more on the citrus spectrum than the almond one but leaves quite a trace on the finish. Quite racy! Racier than most wines from this climat . I’m not sure I’d pick it as coming from as far north as this if I were presented with it blind, though it doesn’t show obvious oak, which so many Montrachet villages wines do. Some chewiness on the end. Long! (JR)