Wine Advisor
Bonneau du Martray, Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2017
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: James Suckling
The very complex nose of flint, dried pear, Amalfi lemon and fresh ginger pulls you inexorably into this super focused and racy Corton-Charlemagne that is still tightly wound. Wonderful silky texture at the very long crushed stone finish. So much energy and vitality it should age very well. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is very promising indeed, unfurling in the glass with aromas of ripe citrus, crisp orchard fruit, blanched almonds, pastry cream and spring flowers. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with excellent concentration, a bright line of animating acidity and a sense of completeness that distinguishes it as a special vintage for the domaine. Its new oak is already better integrated at this early stage than was the case at this estate a few years ago.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is showing superbly from bottle, wafting from the glass with a complex and beautifully integrated bouquet of pear, citrus oil, toasted sesame, warm bread, oyster shell and white flowers. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with a racy spine of acidity and superb concentration without weight, followed by a long, defined finish. Surpassing the high expectations I formed a year ago, this would appear to be the finest wine produced at Bonneau du Martray for over a decade.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is aging with real grace, unwinding in the glass with notes of sweet citrus oil, crisp green apple, white flowers, pastry cream and vanilla, framed by a deft touch of reduction. It is medium to full-bodied, ample and incisive, with a satiny attack that segues into a pure, layered mid-palate animated by racy acids, concluding with a precise, saline finish.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Richness and energy come together so well in the 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. Time in the glass brings out the wine's curves, but the 2017 is so young, especially when tasted next to some of the older wines in this mini-vertical. Lemon confit, marzipan and white flowers add that extra touch of inner perfume and sweetness that is so compelling in this vintage. The 2017 is such a promising Charlemagne.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has a little SO2 to address on the nose, though behind it are pretty, floral aromatics with plenty of fruit. The palate delivers a tangy entry and fine acidity. Lightly spiced with sour lemon toward a finish that does attenuate slightly and leaves you wanting more. I ended up liking this more than I did on first acquaintance. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, aged in around 30% new oak from three coopers, has quite an assertive bouquet; for me, the wood component is a little conspicuous at the moment, despite the modest percentage that it represents in the blend. The palate is more harmonious, and here the wood component feels better subsumed into the fabric of the wine. It offers a fine bead of acidity (pH 3.20), a sense of energy toward the finish and veins of orange pith and light spicy tones. This should be fascinating to watch, but I would like to see that wood component on the nose become fully integrated.
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.
