Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2019 - Faiveley

Corton Charlemagne  Grand Cru 2019 - Faiveley

Joseph Faiveley

(94 - 96)/100 Parker

Tasted by William Kelley on January 14, 2021: "The 2019 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru opens in the glass with notes of white flowers, Meyer lemon, fresh pear, nutmeg and warm bread. Full-bodied, layered and muscular, this is a concentrated, serious and tightly wound wine built around chalky dry extract and tart acids. It shows great promise."

THE VINTAGE

2019 is a cool and balanced vintage characterized by extreme weather (frost, heat wave). The volumes are low but the quality is exceptional. The harvest started on Monday, September 9 and ended on September 21. The white wines are powerful, concentrated and balanced by a well marked acidity. The aromatic notes are reminiscent of freshly cut pears.

CHARACTERISTIC OF THE APPELLATION

Legend has it that the hillside of Corton was once planted exclusively with red grapes and that Charlemagne used to enjoy these wines. Unfortunately, when the wine ran down the emperor's flowery beard, it left vermilion stains and for his wife, this was an affront to the royal dignity. Charlemagne therefore had his vine torn up and replanted with white grapes so that he could continue to enjoy his wine. The Faiveley family bought this parcel in 1874 with the Corton Clos des Cortons Faiveley Grand Cru Monopole. The two parcels are located next to each other above Ladoix-Serrigny.

Exposure : East

Soil : Grey marl

Grape variety: Chardonnay

Surface Area: 0 ha 86 a 57 ca [2.14 Acres].

Year of plantation: 1933, 1935, 1987, 1988, 2010

VINIFICATION & MATURATION

The grapes are cut and sorted by hand. The must is extracted with a pneumatic press, then settled. During 4 weeks, the vinification is accomplished in French oak barrels (50-60% of which are new) in our cellars with a natural and constant hygrometry and temperature. Regularly stirred to put the lees back in suspension, the wine is aged in barrels for 18 months. It thus keeps a beautiful tension and a great aromatic complexity, while offering a delicate and silky mouth.

TASTING

The nose reveals woody, fruity and floral notes. The concentrated mouth offers a beautiful balance and an important aromatic persistence. By its aromatic generosity, one can begin to discover this great vintage but it will reveal all its complexity, its potential and its character after a few years of keeping. It is an exceptional wine, both mineral and deep.

Pairings: Bresse poultry with cream, sweetbreads with morels, foie gras with truffles, duck with orange, salmon with sorrel, grilled lobster.

Temperature : 12°C to 14°C

Aging potential : 15 years and more depending on the vintage

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