2016 Chandon de Briailles Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

(this fruit, from the top part of Les Renardes on the Ladoix side, just under the forest at an altitude of 350 meters, was picked on October 7 at 12.7% potential alcohol, vs. September 15 for the Corton Blanc): A stony freshness to the sexy, soil-driven aromas of grapefruit, spices, mint, nettles, lemon balm and pungent minerals. Wonderfully dense, plush and thick but zesty too, conveying a firm spine and terrific balance to its lemon and exotic spice flavors. Really echoes with pungent minerality, spices and wild herbs on the long finish. A superb soil expression; I barely thought of Chardonnay. The estate made a good 32 hectoliters per hectare in 2016, from a vineyard they planted in 1990, a year after purchasing the land. It was previously a place where the locals dumped their stones. The long ripening period in this late-picked site has given this wine wonderful density without any impression of weight.

The 2016 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is comprised of a single 300-liter used barrel as usual. It has a rather simple, slightly anonymous bouquet (I actually discerned more personality in the Corton Blanc). The palate is medium-bodied and nicely balanced, straightforward toffee apple and citrus notes that lead to a pleasant but, at the end of the day, slightly forgettable finish. I would drink this over the next five or six years. Dec 2017, www.robertparker.com