Wine Advisor
Bonneau du Martray, Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 1993
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Due to all the problems with premox (premature oxidation) in white Burgundy, it’s not often that we encounter a great mature wine of this category. But at almost 30 years of age, this Corton-Charlemagne is still full of life with a slew of mature toasted nuts character alongside the caramelized lemon freshness. Beautiful balance through the long cool stony finish. Drink now.
Reviewed by: Pierre Rovani
The 1993 Corton-Charlemagne reveals appealing honeysuckle and butterscotch aromas and a medium-bodied, softly textured personality. Caramel, nut cream, and anise flavors are interrupted by a lack of breadth in the mid-palate in this otherwise flavorful, long, and delicious wine. Anticipated maturity: now-2003. Importer: Seagram Chateau & Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel (212) 572-7725.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 1993 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has matured nicely on the nose, with mango and dried apricot notes that gradually give way to more resinous scents of melted candle wax and honeycomb. The palate seems to have lower acidity than I expected, while it never really musters the complexity promised by the aromatics. There is still enjoyment to be found here, but I would suggest drinking bottles in the near future. Tasted November 2013.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
From a year that was austere for several decades but which has emerged as one of the most underrated choices for top-flight mature white Burgundy today, the 1993 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is showing very well indeed, wafting from the glass with notes of tangerine oil, crisp yellow orchard fruit, freshly baked bread, iodine and wet stones. Medium to full-bodied, textural and incisive, with a racy spine of acidity that's balanced by concentrated fruit, it concludes with a long, intensely sapid finish.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
This has a relatively simple nose, tight at first but opening up nicely and then…well, I expect it to explode but it rather goes back into its shell. Faint traces of limestone, chalk dust and brioche. It just lacks a little clarity. The palate is better, well balanced with a citrus backbone, notes of Clementine and lime, less breeding than recent vintages with moderate length. Very linear. I cannot see this getting better so drink up. Drink now-2012. Tasted September 2008.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1993 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is a very pretty, fully mature white Burgundy. Candied apricot, orange peel, hazelnut and honeyed notes are all signatures of a wine that is peaking. The 1993 has retained terrific freshness, especially considering the modest quality of the year and ripening that was less than ideal because of rain during harvest. Its soft curves are especially appealing.
About the Producer
Located in Pernand-Vergelesses in the Cote de Beaune region of France, Domaine Bonneau du Martray has a thousand-year-old vineyard and is the only Burgundy winery to produce only Grand Cru wines. The vineyards of Château Matelay currently cover over 11 hectares, of which 9.5 hectares are planted for the production of Chardonnay from Corten-Charlemagne, while the remaining area of the vineyard with more fertile soils is devoted to Pinot Noir, a Corten wine of steadily improving quality. The average age of the vines in the vineyard is 45 years. The owner, Joan Charles, has also introduced asexual propagation in the vineyard to replace the tired vines. Château Martlet produces only two wines, a white wine from the Corten-Charriman vineyard and a red wine from the Corten-Charriman vineyard. The white Chardonnay from the Corten-Charriman vineyard is a rich, thick wine with intense ripe fruit flavours, the best of all Chardonnay whites. The Colten Charlemagne white Chardonnay from Château Matelay is the best of the best. Fortunately, despite the excellent quality of the white wines produced here, they are affordable and offer excellent value for money. These wines are the result of the gift of nature meeting the perseverance of generations.
