Remoissenet Père et Fils : Corton-Charlemagne Grand cru 2021

Tasting notes and serving suggestions for the Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2021 from Remoissenet Père et Fils

Tasting

Appearance

A luminous pale yellow hue with delicate crystal-clear highlights.

Nose

The bouquet reveals beautiful aromatic complexity, with notes of ripe white fruits—particularly pear and peach—accompanied by subtly buttery nuances. Delicate floral tones of linden blossom and white flowers intertwine with a distinctive mineral edge reminiscent of gunflint, the hallmark of the limestone terroir of the Montagne de Corton.

Palate

On the palate, this Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2021 unfurls a powerful, generous structure, marked by remarkable breadth and concentrated density. The balance between vibrant acidity and aromatic richness brings pronounced mineral tension and lively freshness. The finish lingers at length, gradually gaining additional mineral nuances that attest to the outstanding quality of this vintage.

Food and wine pairings

This white grand cru pairs harmoniously with refined gourmet dishes. It is a perfect match for premium shellfish such as roasted lobster or scallops in a cream sauce. Delicate fish like turbot or sea bass prepared with mousseline sauces also make excellent companions. Superior-quality poultry with morels or cream, as well as aged hard cheeses such as Comté or Beaufort, will elevate this exceptional wine.

Serving and cellaring

For optimal tasting of the Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2021, serve at a temperature between 11 and 13°C. A short aeration of twenty to thirty minutes in a decanter allows the aromas to fully express themselves. This wine can be enjoyed through around 2036, during which time it will gradually develop complex tertiary notes while retaining its characteristic freshness.

A white Burgundy grand cru combining power and crystalline minerality

The estate

Founded in 1879 in Beaune by Pierre-Alfred Remoissenet, the House of Remoissenet Père et Fils has embodied Burgundian excellence for nearly a century and a half. Acquired in 2005 by the American Edward L. Milstein, the house has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance under the leadership of Bernard Repolt and the talent of oenologist Claudie Jobard. Based in medieval cellars dating from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in the heart of Beaune, Remoissenet now owns twenty hectares of vineyards and practices certified organic viticulture. The house stands out for its hands-off approach and deliberately limited yields, producing wines renowned for their alluring, profound profile.

The vineyard

The Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru spans around fifty-two hectares across the communes of Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix-Serrigny and Pernand-Vergelesses. The vineyard lies on the upper slopes of the Montagne de Corton, between two hundred and forty and three hundred and fifty meters above sea level. The soils rest on soft marly limestones from the Middle Oxfordian, rich in silica and containing numerous fragments of flinty limestone. This unique geological composition gives the Chardonnay grown on these slopes distinctive minerality and remarkable aromatic complexity. The relatively high altitude entails a longer ripening period, promoting the acid-alcohol balance that is characteristic of this white grand cru.

The vintage

The 2021 vintage in Burgundy proved to be contrasting, with spring frosts in April affecting certain vineyards and reducing yields. Summer and autumn weather conditions were more favorable, allowing Chardonnay to reach satisfactory ripeness. This vintage brings lovely freshness and great mineral tension to the wine, resulting in acidity slightly above average, lending vibrancy and pronounced minerality to the Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2021.

Vinification and aging

After a hand harvest at optimal ripeness, the Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2021 is vinified in oak vats. The wine then undergoes aging for fifteen to eighteen months in French oak barrels with a balanced breakdown: one-third new barrels, one-third one-wine barrels, and one-third older barrels. This aging strategy helps avoid excessive oak influence while giving the wine the subtle nuances and textural enrichment associated with carefully measured aging in French oak.

Grape variety

100% Chardonnay