2004 Corton Charlemagne
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Tasting notes
(tasted from barrel; this was racked three months ago and returned to oak) Fairly pale color. Pineapple, stone, menthol and spicy, vanillin oak, plus a hint of elderflower. Penetrating and gripping, with superb vinosity. Bracing citrus flavors are intensified by powerful minerality and high acidity. Still an infant and likely to develop in bottle for 15 to 20 years. But this nearly painful wine will not be for everyone. For fans scoring at home, the alcohol here is 14.2%, the acid is 4.6 grams per liter, and the pH is 3.2. After showing me this wine, Martin Prieur summarized by saying that 2004 was "one of our great white wine years, along with 1992."
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(tasted with a few grams of sugar remaining) Slightly peppery aromas of chalk, menthol and toast. Densely packed but steely and penetrating, with vineyard-typical flavors of grapefruit and wet chalk. Distinctly cooler than the Perrieres. Finishes very long and gripping. My sample seems a bit disturbed today and may well be better than my projected range.