Domaine Henri Boillot : Corton-Charlemagne Grand cru 2020

Tasting characteristics and advice for the Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2020 from Domaine Henri Boillot

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a pale golden yellow hue with slightly greenish highlights, reflecting its youth and freshness.

Nose

The nose opens with subtle mineral notes accompanied by aromas of green apple and citrus fruits, notably lemon and grapefruit. Floral nuances of white flowers, hawthorn and acacia gradually emerge, while delicate touches of clove and toasted wood add complexity to the whole.

Palate

On the palate, this wine shows remarkable power while retaining bright freshness. The texture is both rich and creamy, with flavors of white-fleshed fruit, peach and pear intertwining with citrus notes. The saline minerality characteristic of the terroir runs through the palate, bringing structure and precision. Oak integration remains subtle, allowing the fruit and terroir to fully express themselves. The finish stands out for its exceptional length and persistent mineral character.

Food and wine pairings

This Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2020 beautifully complements refined seafood dishes such as langoustines, grilled lobster or sole meunière. It also pairs elegantly with poultry in a creamy sauce, blue-veined cheeses, as well as foie gras.

Serving and cellaring

This Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2020 is ideally served between 10 and 12°C. It is recommended to open it about fifteen minutes before serving to allow the aromas to fully express themselves. This wine can be cellared until around 2040, with an optimal drinking window estimated between 2027 and 2035.

A powerful Burgundy Grand Cru with beautiful minerality

The estate

The Domaine Henri Boillot traces its origins back to 1885, when the Boillot family began its winegrowing activity in Burgundy. Based in Meursault, in the heart of the Côte de Beaune, the estate officially took its current name in 2005 when Henri Boillot bought out his brothers’ and sisters’ shares. Today, Henri and his son Guillaume, who joined the estate in 2008, run together this roughly fifteen-hectare domaine spread across prestigious parcels in Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault and Volnay. The estate has built an international reputation for white wines of remarkable purity and precision, crafted according to a philosophy of sustainable viticulture and minimalist winemaking.

The vineyard

The Corton-Charlemagne is an exceptional Grand Cru located on the heights of the Montagne de Corton, between 280 and 330 meters above sea level. The vineyard enjoys an unusual southwest exposure for Burgundy, encouraging optimal ripening while preserving freshness. The soils are composed of clay marls rich in limestone, resting on layers of Jurassic limestone that are 145 million years old. This distinctive geology gives the wines their signature minerality and remarkable salinity. The appellation, which covers nearly 60 hectares, produces exclusively white wines made from the Chardonnay grape variety. The terroir boasts a prestigious history dating back to the year 775, when Emperor Charlemagne donated these lands to the collegiate church of Saint-Andoche de Saulieu.

The vintage

The 2020 vintage in Burgundy is characterized by a hot, dry year marked by a significant water deficit from February through the end of summer. Despite these drought conditions, Chardonnay withstood heat stress remarkably well. The vines focused their energy on ripening the grapes rather than vegetative growth, producing highly concentrated berries. Against all expectations, the white wines from the 2020 vintage show exceptionally high acidity, with particularly low pH levels. Harvest took place early, from late August to mid-September. This sunny, well-balanced vintage produced wines of great freshness, combining power and energy.

Vinification and aging

The Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2020 from Domaine Henri Boillot is vinified using a minimalist approach that respects the terroir. The grapes are pressed as whole clusters, preserving aromatic purity and limiting the extraction of phenolic compounds. Fermentation takes place without bâtonnage, a technique that helps retain the wine’s freshness and mineral character. Aging is carried out in 350-liter barrels, a larger format than traditional 225-liter barriques, allowing for more subtle oak integration. The estate uses a mix of new barrels and one-year-old barrels, never resorting to older barrels. This aging method preserves the pure expression of fruit and terroir while adding structure and complexity to the wine.

Grape variety

100% Chardonnay