Saturday, January 03, 2009

Corton Charlemagne 2000 Bonneau du Martray

There's something about great whites from terroir that lends itself more often to reds. I don't know what it is, but the result tends to be fantastically exotic. Jadot's Beaune Gréves Le Clos Blanc, Roy's Marsannay blanc, and this, the banner wine of the vineyard, all boast some underlying connection. It's getting to the point where I may not be able to spot blind whether a wine's from the Côte de Nuits or Côte de Beaune, but I could possibly spot whether the surrounding vineyards were Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.

Rich and toasted and touched by hints of caramel and spiced vanilla on the nose. Deep and intense. The palate is big and exotic - textured oak notes backed by zingy structured acidity. Clotted cream. cloves and cinammon provide fantastic secondaries. The fruit's tropical but tempered by pristine structure. This is mouth-filling, decadent, brilliant Burgundy. Still quite young. Drink with hand-dived scallops or perfectly seared foie gras. Or both.

****(*)

Tasted at Shorehead 7/12/08

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