2006 Corton Charlemagne

The 2006 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru displays breathtaking delineation on the nose. It's not quite at the ethereal level of the 2005, but it is not far short. The aromatics are loaded with mineralité , touches of orchard fruit and even a hint of loam mixed with sea shells. The palate is beautifully balanced with a silver thread of acidity, building towards a harmonious, white truffle-infused finish that fans out gloriously. It will clearly mature in bottle, but damn, it's difficult to resist now.

The 2006 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru offers up a ripe bouquet of peach, pastry cream, white flowers and sweet spices, revealing some musky top notes from botrytis on the upper register. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, lavishly textural and broad, with an open-knit core, ripe flavors and considerable substance, but it is missing the tension and cut of a great vintage. How will it evolve? The question is whether one should drink it now (which Coche conservatively advises), or gamble on it tightening up in the next few years, following in the footsteps of several recently tasted bottles of Coche's 2006 Meursault which seem to have become altogether more vibrant and exciting than they were a few years ago. In either case, this is a rich, gourmand Corton-Charlemagne from a vintage in which Coche performed a strict selection to limit the influence of the year's pervasive botrytis.