Bouchard Père & Fils : Corton-Charlemagne Grand cru Domaine 2020

A well-toned white hallmarked by floral, lemon, pear, stone and baking spice aromas and flavors. Creamy and builds across the palate, ending with a spicy aftertaste of lemon curd and stone. Best from 2025 through 2035. 140 cases imported.

At the very top of the hill planted on white marl, this four-hectare parcel is typically the last one to be picked – there is the elevation but also a wind that is always blowing here. The nose has pronounced lemon peel and green apple fruit with a delightful, saline minerality. There is not a lot of oak spice or malo notes – only 20% new wood is used for the fermentation. On the palate, there is laser focus and impressive finesse. With time it opens to show lovely depth and complexity. Really top.

Very complex nose of lemon curd, tangerine and violets. So cool and precise, with excellent concentration, but not a gram of fat on its muscular body, this is a marathon-runner white Burgundy. Intense, chalky minerality is married to restrained creaminess at the dangerously fresh, long finish. From a 3.65-hectare plot at 320 meters altitude on the east-facing side of this site. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

The 2020 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has a ripe, slightly honeyed bouquet with lime, linden, hints of yellow plum and orange pith aromas that blossom in the glass. This is very well-defined and evolves wonderfully with aeration. The beautifully defined palate offers a creamy veneer of new oak that does not impede upon the terroir. Harmonious with subtle wild peach and marzipan notes toward the finish, this is just a delicious Corton-Charlemagne. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting.