Wine Advisor
Bonneau du Martray, Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2021
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Cropped at a mere eight hectoliters per hectare after being hit by the April frosts and then challenged by severe disease pressure, the 2021 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has nevertheless turned out beautifully, offering up aromas of tangerine oil, crisp stone fruit, clear honey, white flowers and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and textural, with terrific depth at the core, tangy acids and a precise, saline finish, it will only gain with further élevage.
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.
