Wine Advisor
Bonneau du Martray, Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2004
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
I began the meal with the 2004 Bonneau de Martray Corton-Charlemagne, which is drinking beautifully at present: a whiff of reduction blew off with aeration, revealing precise mineral driven acacia flower, honeyed stone fruit and delicate hazelnut aromas and flavors. At 200 years and counting, the family running the Domaine knows a thing or two about the Charlemagne vineyards, and it shows. This turned out to be a great food wine, full of lively acidity and no undue weight (even better, this white Burgundy showed no signs of premox). It matched very well with the mozzarella, and even the anchovies weren’t overwhelmed, given the wine’s still bright acidity. It’s drinking beautifully at present, so I am not sure there’s much to gain by hanging on to any bottles much longer.
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.
