2007 Corton Charlemagne

Girardin's 2007 Corton Charlemagne reflects the tendency of his parcels in this cru to stay under 13% potential alcohol even in riper vintages than 2007. Lemon zest and white pepper, ripe peach and chalk dust inform the nose and segue into an oily-textured yet brightly citric palate that borders on austerity. This points toward ample underlying extract, yet is not at all heavy. There are the makings of a superb wine that on another day might show more openness, but in any case demands several years in the cellar, and ought to be worth following for a decade. This is far more site-typical than most of the best 2007 Corton Charlemagne bottlings with their atypical generosity and fleetness of foot. I did not have an opportunity to taste Girardin's "Quintessence" bottling from Corton Charlemagne in this vintage. Vincent Girardin picked until past mid-September, with most of his top sites being brought in only from the 10th; allowed skin contact he would have avoided until recent years; and beat the lees on his young wines only until Christmas, but then bottled – with a light fining, and in many instances no filtration – only in May, 2009 to maximize passive time on the lees. The regimen of new wood here (now 20-30% depending on cru) represents a drastic diminution in just the past several years, and the 2007s strike me as far more comfortable in their skins than those of 2004-2006, benefiting also from the freshness and vivacity that characterize the vintage. He picked a week too late in 2006, opines Girardin with hindsight, but then, this was almost unavoidable in at least some instances for a vintner with such huge acreage. Girardin finds his 2007s especially marked by the typicity of each individual site, not only to a greater degree than in the two more obviously ripe preceding vintages, but also than in 2008. This is an aspect he is convinced will gradually be enhanced by a conversion to biodynamic methods that is underway. Girardin's 2007 musts were selectively chaptalized and finished wines here are largely in the vicinity of 13% alcohol. As usual, given the vast array of estate and negociant wines at this address (the latter status noted, where applicable, in my texts), I was not able to take time for tasting them all; in particular omitting the generics. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802