1993 Corton Charlemagne
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Tasting notes
This was my third encounter with the 1993 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru from Coche-Dury, this time served blind. It has that distinctive popcorn, brioche and melted candle wax scent, this bottle displaying a subtle menthol element that I have not detected on previous examples. The palate is supremely well balanced, creamy in texture and counterbalanced by a keen thread of acidity. Lovely grilled walnut notes emerge toward the slightly oxidative finish. I feel this is either à point or perhaps just commencing a graceful decline. Tasted blind at a private members' club in London.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 1993 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is a vintage that I have only encountered on one occasion. It has a burnished straw colour, perhaps just a little more turbid than I recall other bottles. It has a beautiful, quite bewitching bouquet with scents of hazelnut, popcorn, wild honey, flint (less pronounced than the bottle in 2014) and a hint of orange blossom. These take a few minutes to align themselves and gain focus. The palate is marked by a fine line of acidity, quite saline in the mouth. This is not as immediate as say, the 1996 or the 2005 that are both immediate showstoppers. This 1993 is much more cerebral. It gradually unfurls to offer brioche, grilled almonds and walnut. There is not incredible persistence here, yet there is a captivating sense of precision and a surfeit of charm. Tasted at Howard's Gourmet at a private lunch.
The 1993 Corton-Charlemagne is remarkably vibrant and fresh for a wine of its age. Time has added a lovely patina of complexity, yet the 1993 is surprisingly dense and phenolic in style, with striking mineral-infused depth and creaminess. What a pleasure it is to drink, not taste, this magical white Burgundy.
The 1993 Corton Charlemagne, now just over 20 years old, appears to have lost none of its luster or breeding during its aging and now is probably plateauing at its lofty peak. It has a quite brilliant delineation with flint and granite notes at first, hints of Granny Smith apples, pear and hazelnut emerging later. The palate is extremely well-focused, precise and harmonious. It is not a profound Corton-Charlemagne like the 1996 or the 2005, yet those fleeting glimpses of brioche and hazelnut on the crystalline finish are to die for. Sublime.
About the producer
Domaine Jean-François Coche-Dury is one of the most sought-after names in Burgundy, famed for producing some of the most expensive white wines in the world. The demand for these fiercely collected wines far outstrips supply.