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95
/ 100
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94
/ 100
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94
/ 100
Tasting Notes
The Charlemagne climate, the historical heart of the Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru appellation harmoniously rounds off the hill of Corton on its western side. The vines facing west are exposed to the sun from mid-morning until sunset, a unique feature in Burgundy. The air circulation caused by the neighbouring hills ventilates the vineyard and preserves the freshness of the grapes. Bonneau du Martray's vineyard run from top to bottom of the hill, where the thickness of the clays, silts, marls and different types of limestone make up a mosaic of soil with very different requirements and results: the parcels at the foot of the forest on the top of the hill give the wine a crystalline appearance, with floral and citrus fruit notes. The vines in the heart of the hill structure the wine and bring grain to it, while the parcels at the bottom of the hill, richer in minerals, bring the power of Charlemagne. The composition of this unique Bonneau du Martray cuvée reflects the complexity and richness of this great terroir, the most authentic representation of Charlemagne's terroir.
When the fruit is received at the winery, a light crushing of the berries takes place before pressing. This allows a gentle extraction of the aromatic quintessence of the vintage.
After settling, fermentation takes place in a combination of new and aged French oak barrels. Each barrel is followed with great care until its first racking. At this stage the blending starts. The resulting lots continue their ageing on their fine lees through a second winter. At the end of this period, the wine is racked a second time to separate its remaining lees. It is then moved to tanks for two additional months to assure homogenization. The wine is finally bottled during a waning phase of the moon.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity
Classification: White
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2018
Bottle Size: 750ml (Bottle)
Country: France
Region: Burgundy, Corton-Charlemagne
Alcohol %: 13.0%
Cellaring: 15 Plus Years
Scores
95 / 100"Once picking started, the Bonneau du Martray team went at the harvest full tilt. The wine has been made mostly in barrel for the first year, but using a wide variety of containers: 350 litre, 500 litre, cigar shaped barrels and cement eggs. The decision was also taken to keep the wine on lees in tank for one month longer than usual. The yield was a manageable 44 hl/ha in 2018. Pale lemon colour. Very light reduction which also represents the sun on the stones. Plenty of character on the nose, lemony notes, middleweight but then I am tasting it after the 2019. Still a certain heat, then also some iodine. Crystalline, with a cooked stone finish. This will make a fine Corton-Charlemagne."
- Jasper Morris MW
94 / 100
"Revisited from bottle, the 2018 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has turned out very well indeed, unwinding in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, fresh bread, orange oil and nutmeg. Medium to full-bodied, layered and elegantly satiny, it's deep and saline, concluding with fine grip on the finish. In this charming, demonstrative vintage, Bonneau du Martray has succeeded in producing a serious, age-worthy wine. Domaine Bonneau du Martray goes from strength to strength, and this was another impressive tasting with cellar master Emmanuel Hautus. As I wrote last year, the domaine's extensive holdings, when vinified parcel by parcel, give Hautus and his team a broad palette of blending components to choose from, a rare luxury in Burgundy and one that they appear to be exploiting to the fullest. At the press, Hautus told me that he tries to be more adaptive to the year, with foulage and press cycles tailored to each crop, rather than proceeding by default. Revisited in bottle, the 2018 Corton-Charlemagne showed brilliantly, and the 2019 is sure to surpass it. As a great admirer of the wonderful wines this domaine produced in the past, all this is very gratifying."
- The Wine Advocate
94 / 100
"A cool, pure and elegant nose combines notes of various white fleshed fruit scents that in particular include Granny Smith apples and pear, along with hints of citrus and wet stone. There is excellent intensity as well as fine richness to the detailed and mineral-driven flavors where the minerality adds a sense of lift to the complex and sneaky long finale. This is lovely and should be approachable a bit sooner than its 2017 counterpart."
- Allen Meadows
