2005 Corton Les Grandes Lolieres

The 2005 Corton Les Grandes Lolieres (from the Ladoix side of the mountain, and tasted pre-assemblage) offers spiced sweet cherry and plum aromas with a hint of chalk dust. On the palate, bright fruit is strongly inflected by fruit pit bitterness and chalky minerality, themes that carry into the wine’s bright, treble finish. As with most of these wines today, this wears its structure rather obviously, and one is entitled to ask whether a Grand Cru ought not to have nobler tannins. Christophe Vial has move here from de Montille to become the cellarmaster, but oenologist Claire Forestier was responsible for these 2005s. I hope I shall prove to have hit them on a bad day. But abstracting from possible (in some instances obvious) effects of having just been racked to tank and sulfured in preparation for bottling, I found many of these wines lacking in striking personalities or grip. Some evinced toasty hints of barrel despite the percentage of new wood being low (only rising above 20-30% in the case of Chambertin) suggesting that they might be a bit “underwined.” Also recommended: 2005 Hautes-Cotes de Nuits ($ 28.00-20.00; 84), 2005 Vougeot ($65.00-70.00; 85), 2005 Vougeot Les Petits Vougeot ($95.00-100.00; 85-87) 2005 Vougeot Les Cras ($95.00-100.00; 85-87+?), 2005 Vougeot Clos de la Perriere ($110.00-115.00; 85-87+?), 2005 Chambolle-Musigny ($65.00-70.00; 85-87), Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800.