Bouchard Pere & Fils, Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2013

vinous 2003

Rating: 93 –93

Very pale color. Discreet nose offers underripe pineapple, baking spices, menthol and crushed stone. Very intensely flavored and tightly wound, with a penetrating minerality giving powerful spine to the grapefruit and pineapple flavors. Steely, gripping and unevolved. This is an infant today.

vinous 2003

Rating: 93 –96

Very pale, green-tinged color. Exotic aromas of lime, apple, coconut and oak char. Wonderfully superripe yet racy, with terrific verve. The juicy, penetrating flavors of lime, apple and minerals get the salivary glands pumping. A wine of superb class and thrust, and yet there's also major underlying fat for this grand cru. Finishes with palate-staining length and cut. The vines here run north-south, noted Hervet, and thus the fruit was not burned by the hot August sun.

vinous 2013

Rating: 93 –93

Very pale, bright yellow. Yellow peach, white pepper, wild herbs and smoky lees on the nose. Large-scaled and generous, with strong wet-stone minerality giving shape to the middle palate. This wine makes the Meursault Perrières seem tart by comparison; it's fatter and easier to taste but also more structured. Finishes sappy, rich and long, with repeating stony minerality and lingering sweetness. This may well close down in the bottle.

vinous 2013

Rating: 91 –93

(the yield was under 30 hectoliters per hectare due to the poor flowering; no hail in 2013; 80% through its malo at the time of my visit): Tight nose shows a medicinal menthol aspect, a suggestion of wild herbs and a faint malic edge. Powerful, very rich and large-scaled, with harmonious ripe acidity framing the middle palate. Not yet pristine owing to the remaining malic acidity and hard to judge today, but finishes stony, tactile and highly concentrated, with an earthy nuance. These vines on the eastern side of the appellation are planted along a north-south axis and were not harvested until October 9.

vinous 2010

Rating: 95 –95

Good bright, pale yellow. Very pure, reticent aromas of lemon, lime and white flowers. Dry and penetrating to the point of painful, with pristine flavors of crushed stone, lime, lemon and ripe but lightly bitter pomelo. Pure energy: this makes the Cabottes seem almost creamy by comparison. Finishes with intense crushed stone flavor and outstanding cut and lift. For the cellar.

vinous 2010

Rating: 92 –96

Highly nuanced nose combines apple, flower blossom, crushed stone, white truffle and menthol, with a saline seashell quality emerging with air. Then stubbornly backward in the mouth, with an appley malic element and strong CO2 giving this wine a distinctly hermetic quality. Broad and large-scaled but without any impression of weight. An infant today: this is likely to be bottled last, according to Prost.

vinous 2017

Rating: 92 –92

The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has a seductive nose of peachy fruit infused with white chocolate and almond, all defined and focused. The palate is well balanced with fine delineation and nicely integrated oak. More white chocolate and hints of praline develop toward a finish that has a slightly honeyed texture, but there is certainly impressive persistence. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune.

vinous 2017

Rating: 90 –92

The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has an impressive bouquet that actually outshines the Montrachet, featuring yellow fruit, minerals and hints of white flower. The palate is well balanced with good body and rounded texture, displaying notes of orange peel and quince, and perhaps just missing a little delineation toward the finish. Fine.

vinous 2017

Rating: 92 –95

(from fruit picked on September 12 and 13): Aromas of lime, white flowers, spices and hazelnut. Powerful, thick, rich and deep; wonderfully silky and broad but with terrific spicy acidity giving it a light touch. This is extract-rich for a yield of nearly 45 hectoliters per hectare. Finishes tactile, dry and long, with an impression of tannic spine and repeating nutty nuances.

robert_parker 2021

Rating: 92 –94

The 2021 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru unwinds in the glass with aromas of pear, crisp yellow apple, white flowers, freshly baked bread and toasted nuts. Full-bodied, taut and chiseled, it's unusually concentrated, with a bright spine of acidity and chalky structuring extract. It's a standout of the range and well worth seeking out.

robert_parker 2020

Rating: 92 –94

Aromas of orange oil, peach, confit citrus, freshly baked bread, beeswax and white flowers preface the 2020 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, a full-bodied, layered and concentrated wine that's deep and muscular, with a rich but tensile profile and a long, chalky finish.

robert_parker 2019

Rating: 94 –94

Rich and demonstrative, the 2019 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru wafts from the glass with aromas of orchard fruits, peach, nutmeg, orange oil and fresh bread. Full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, it's deep and concentrated, with a fleshy core of fruit, lively acids and a long, saline finish. This is an unusually broad-shouldered but beautifully balanced Corton-Charlemagne from Bouchard.

robert_parker 2019

Rating: 92 –94

The 2019 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is another success, unwinding to reveal notions of pear, orange oil, warm bread, toasted almonds and fresh peach. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's lively and mineral, with a long, saline finish. This derives from holdings in the commune of Ladoix, above Bouchard's parcel in Le Corton in red.

robert_parker 2018

Rating: 93 –93

The 2018 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is performing very well from bottle, offering up inviting aromas of pear, green pineapple, citrus oil, white flowers, lemon curd and fresh pastry. Medium to full-bodied, deep and nicely concentrated, it's muscular and structured, with racy acids and fine reserves of dry extract. This should age with class.

robert_parker 2018

Rating: 91 –93

The 2018 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru exhibits aromas of confit citrus and citrus zest, complemented by notes of fresh pastry and warm bread. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, muscular and structured, with good depth and concentration. This is a Corton-Charlemagne with a promising future.

robert_parker 2017

Rating: 90 –92

The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru offers up notes of ripe lemon, blanched almonds, praline and white flowers. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy but structured, with a more overly ripe profile that's less integrated and cohesive than Bouchard's grands crus from Puligny. If it was just out of sorts when I tasted it, my score will seem conservative.

robert_parker 2016

Rating: 91 –93

The 2016 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru comes from vines located just above Corton with east-facing orientation. It has an attractive, almost Meursault-like bouquet with traces of walnut and hazelnut. The palate is fresh and quite effervescent on the entry, with a fine line of acidity if not quite the persistence of the finest Corton-Charlemagne that I have tasted. Nonetheless, there is plenty of energy locked in here and it should age well.

robert_parker 2016

Rating: 92 –92

The 2016 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with a youthfully tight-knit bouquet of crisp green orchard fruit, lemon oil, smoke and beeswax. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, delicately textural and incisive, with tangy acids, good concentration at the core and a long, precise finish. With its racy profile, this is built for the cellar.

robert_parker 2013

Rating: 92 –94

The 2013 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has a very reserved nose at first, but unfolds in the glass to reveal hints of yellow plum, orange peel and light limestone scents. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity, quite saline in the mouth, with commendable precision toward the finish. This is certainly one of the better Corton-Charlemagne 2013s – chapeau.

robert_parker 2013

Rating: 93 –93

Bouchard's 2013 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is showing very well, wafting from the glass with an expressive bouquet of yellow orchard fruit, pear, orange oil, praline and wheat toast. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and intense, with succulent acids, good concentration and a penetrating finish. While this Corton-Charlemagne is quite open for inspection already, it's nicely balanced and displays good structural tension. Bottled under Diam 10, it should enjoy more than another decade of longevity.

robert_parker 2012

Rating: 92 –92

The 2012 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, comes from 2.4 hectares of vines located close to the top of the top of the hill, has a crisp, stony bouquet with apple blossom and lime flower, gently unfurling in the glass but needing a little more vigor. The palate is well-balanced with a slightly viscous opening, notes of tangerine and grapefruit, later a welcome twist of bitter lemon lending energy on the finish. Drink now-2028. Although I tasted the wines of this Burgundy grand maison in London, I spent a morning with winemaker Philippe Prost to go through at least part of their large portfolio to get an insight into Bouchard Pere & Fils. Ever since Michel Bouchard established the house in 1731, it has been a permanent fixture in Burgundy, surviving seizure by the State after the Revolution, phylloxera, two World Wars and periods when the world simply was uninterested in Burgundy. Today they own 130 hectares of vines, more than any Bordeaux chateau, including 12 grand crus and 74 premier crus. Importer: Henriot Inc. and John E. Fells in the UK.

robert_parker 2012

Rating: 91 –91

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2012 tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru from Bouchard Père has a well defined bouquet, the oak present but more integrated than Sylvain Loichet’s: subtle with hints of white flowers and minerals developing with aeration. The palate is balanced and poised, the acidity well judged and combines well with the viscosity. It comes across as quite an understated and feminine Corton-Charlemagne that I was hoping would improve in the glass, but instead, it seems to lose some of its initial promise.

robert_parker 2007

Rating: 96 –96

Bouchard’s 2007 Corton-Charlemagne – the last wine they picked – offers another of those occasions for reflecting on a bit of Burgundian craziness: a grand cru wine presented last in a stellar line-up, yet that costs on-half to one-third that of the other grand cru bottlings that preceded it. A striking and intensely pungent aroma of holly berry, fresh ginger, and lime zest leads to a vivacious, silken-textured, chalky, saline, crustacean palate. For all of this wine’s sheer intensity and palpable sense of underlying extract, it shares lift, buoyancy, and overall elegance with its Chevalier-Montrachet counterparts and preserves the energy and primary, juicy refreshment that goes with its vintage. The diversity and persistence of mineral elements here are memorable. It’s the hundredth anniversary of this Bouchard parcel (characterized by all-day luminosity), and a happy birthday indeed! Those lucky enough to acquire some of this should anticipate more than a decade of pleasure, but I would estimate that re-visiting the wine in 2-3 years would be rewarding both sensually and in terms of estimating its further evolution. Philippe Prost’s late-August starting date for the 2007 white harvest reflects not simply the enormous acreage over which Bouchard holds sway. (In fact, they can muster correspondingly large forces and their gargantuan facility with its battery of presses can handle the harvest in ten days if need be.) It is also a function of assiduous yield control that promotes ripening, and of a professed interest in capturing freshness and vivacity. Furthermore, picking extended for 18 days, until mid-September, and most of the estate’s top sites were brought in near the end. And with the exception of a Pouilly-Fuisse rendered from contract fruit, none of the 2007 whites here were chaptalized. Most came in a bit over 13% alcohol and – as Prost asserts and his wines testify – with excellent phenolic maturity. Prost prefers to avoid sulfuring the fruit or must, letting it darken from oxidation during its period of skin contact and settling because, in his view, not only the color but the flavors bounce back as soon as the juice starts fermenting, and the resulting wine is both more expressive and more stable. “You know,” he says by way of general commentary on the evolution of Bouchard vinification, “a few years ago we were too concerned to be clean and clinical” with the result that “the wines were closed,” especially in their youth. No one could level that charge at the wines now, even if some are subtle and understated. The question now – just as at other Burgundy addresses – is how white wines from the last several vintages will age. Among many recent changes made at Bouchard in the name (dare I interject, “hope”?) of reducing instances of premature oxidation and bottle variation are blanketing the assembled wines in nitrogen, a sophisticated new bottling protocol, and the use of Diam (specially treated composite) corks for village level wines and dense corks from Sardinia for crus. Importer: Henriot, Inc, New York, NY; tel. (212) 605-6767

robert_parker 1999

Rating: 86 –86

A slightly petrolly nose with a touch of undergrowth. The palate is a little simplistic considering that this is a Corton-Charlemagne, good weight but muffled and unfocused towards the finish. Should be better considering the vintage. Drink now. Tasted December 2007.

robert_parker 1992

Rating: 87 –87

The Bouchards have made significant changes in their white winemaking philosophy. Since 1989 the white wines have been put through malolactic and vinified in barrels, of which 15% are new. More extensive lees contact, lower vineyard yields, and less traumatic clarification and filtration techniques, have resulted in the best group of white wines Bouchard has produced in over two decades. The overall quality level in 1992 is good to very good. Bouchard's grand crus include a ripe, medium to full-bodied, soft 1992 Corton-Charlemagne. While fragrant, it lacks the depth and intensity of a grand cru. Importer: Palace Brands, Hartford, CT

vinous 2016

Rating: 94 –94

Pale, bright yellow. Subtle floral lift to the aromas of lemon, lime, menthol and chalky minerality. Dense, tactile, dry and deep, conveying a solid impression without any heaviness. Citrus peel, lavender and subtle nutmeg flavors show lovely mineral firmness and grip for the year. There's a soil-driven chewiness here that's as much Corton-Charlemagne as the vintage, but no hard edges. Finishes with sneaky rising length, pungent citrus fruits and crushed-rock minerality. Really leaves the taste buds quivering. This surprisingly smooth Corton-Charlemagne is built for a graceful evolution in bottle; I'd lay it down for. I raised my score by a point four days later when the wine was every bit as penetrating, minerally and palate-staining but had been joined by some ripe notes of white stone fruits.

vinous 2016

Rating: 91 –93

(almost finished with its malo; the alcohol here is in the high 13s, from a good-sized crop--about 35 hectoliters per hectare for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir here--harvested on October 1): Pale, bright yellow. Smells chalky and deep if subdued, offering scents of apple, menthol and spices. Savory, tactile wine with a lovely touch of sweetness and an element of medicinal herbs. Very rich, layered, soil-driven wine with chewy extract and classic dryness. Quite full and ripe but very chalky throughout. A bit aggressive on the end, but then this wine still has some unconverted malic acidity.

vinous 2018

Rating: 90 –90

The 2018 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has a light waxy nose that lacks a bit of energy. The palate is balanced with orange zest and mango. Not a complex Corton-Charlemagne, but pretty with a lightly spiced, almost Viognier-like finish. Fine, though it does not match the promise that it showed from barrel. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 white tasting.

vinous 2018

Rating: 92 –94

The 2018 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru comes from 3.9 hectares of east-facing vines at 350m altitude. It has an attractive if not quite an exciting bouquet of beeswax and jasmine notes. The palate is livelier, demonstrating good tension. Quintessentially Corton-Charlemagne in texture, with a resinous, sappy finish that gets the saliva flowing. Drink over the next two decades.

vinous 2019

The 2019 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is very reduced on the nose and impossible to read at the time of my tasting. The palate is balanced with good weight, but very primal at the moment. It’s difficult to see how this will be in bottle, so I will reserve judgment for now. 

vinous 2020

Rating: 91 –93

The 2020 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has a well-defined, tightly-packed bouquet that demanded some coaxing from the glass. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity, maybe just a bit too straightforward on the mid-palate but with a pleasant waxy-textured finish. Drink over the next 12-15 years.

robert_parker 2023

Rating: 92 –94

The 2023 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru offers up aromas of pear, buttery pastry, toasted hazelnuts and nutmeg, followed by a medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered palate that's racy and penetrating.

robert_parker 2022

Rating: 93 –94

Aromas of pear, green apple, white flowers and wet stones introduce the 2022 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, a deep, medium to full-bodied wine that's taut, chiseled and racy, with excellent depth at the core and an abundance of chalky structuring extract. As usual, it derives from the domaine's holdings on the Ladoix side.

robert_parker 2014

Rating: 90 –90

The 2014 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, raised in 15% new oak like the Montrachet, has an attractive white chocolate and almond-scented nose that is pleasing, if missing a little complexity. The palate is well balanced, surprisingly austere on the entry but bestowed with impressive weight. It would benefit from more length and sustain on the finish, though it is balanced and there is a pleasing dab of lemongrass enlivening the finish. Give this a couple of years in barrel--a decent Corton-Charlemagne, even if I do prefer the Meursault Perrières!

robert_parker 2015

Rating: 92 –94

The 2015 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has a composed, citrus peel, granitic bouquet that feels a little "cooler" than others that I have encountered, the altitude and clay soils lending this the reserve to counterbalance the precocity of the growing season. The palate is well balanced with pleasing acidity, tightly-wound with a noticeable marine element that becomes more pronounced towards the finish. It has the weight and intensity you expect from a Corton-Charlemagne and it should repay those who cellar it for 5-7 years. This is a fine effort in such a warm vintage.

robert_parker 2016

Rating: 92 –92

The 2016 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with a youthfully tight-knit bouquet of crisp green orchard fruit, lemon oil, smoke and beeswax. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, delicately textural and incisive, with tangy acids, good concentration at the core and a long, precise finish. With its racy profile, this is built for the cellar.

robert_parker 2017

Rating: 93 –93

The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru surpasses its showing from barrel, revealing an attractive bouquet of ripe orchard fruit, citrus oil, spring flowers and pastry cream. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, elegantly glossy and precise, with a fleshy core of fruit that's tempered by brisk acids, concluding with a delicately chalky finish. While this is a little shut down after its recent bottling, this is a charming, expressive Corton-Charlemagne in the making.

robert_parker 2011

Rating: 84 –84

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. The Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2011 from Bouchard Père & Fils has quite an austere bouquet that is missing some fruit concentration, some pyrazine and reductive notes developing in the glass. The palate is taut and grassy on the entry, again with some pyrazine notes coming through and rendering this a little facile and hard. This is disappointing in the context of both vineyard and other wines from this Burgundy stalwart.

robert_parker 2006

Rating: 94 –95

That the team at Bouchard presents their 2006 Corton-Charlemagne for tasting last of all certainly reflects confidence in their holdings (high up in a southeast-facing original “Le Corton”) as well as in their affinity for the site. Grapefruit, lime, yellow plum, and chalk in the nose lead to a pungent, tart concentration of citrus and pit fruit essences and an implacable stoniness that leave the palate stained, yet all the while invigorated. In fact, this leaves one’s tongue positively aquiver. It needs some years to really show what is at present only incipient complexity, but exhibits a balanced youthful intensity that promise well over a decade of positive evolution. Certainly an investment in a bottle or two of this represents a bargain when compared with its grand cru siblings from further south. In keeping with what he says are his usual intuitions, Philippe Prost picked early – bringing in Chardonnay ahead of Pinot Noir for the first time at Bouchard since 1989 – so as to retain freshness as well as what he termed “the sense of minerality in a vintage of very ripe fruit. But in 1989,” he hastens to add, “yields were perhaps overly generous, whereas in 2006 they are quite reasonable.” The results are consistently impressive. New barrels are generally “seasoned” here through use in wines of lesser appellation (other portions of which are frequently raised in tank), as Prost prefers to employ second year barrels for most of his crus. Injections of inert gas at bottling are among the techniques being used to protect the young wines here from oxidation. Importer: Henriot, Inc, New York, NY

robert_parker 1998

Rating: 87 –88

According to Hervet and Prost, the sulphur treatments of their domaine-owned Corton-Charlemagne parcel were so successful that "neighbors stole their grapes" before Bouchard's teams could harvest. Revealing ripe pear, apple, and mineral aromas, it is an attractively plump, rich, and fleshy wine that acts in a surprisingly forward, yet tight manner at the same time. Its flavor profile combines characteristics of well-ripened fruit, while also exhibiting the lemon-lime flavors generally associated with an under-ripe harvest. Overall, however, it is appealing, if not harmonious. Projected maturity: now-2005+. Importer: Clicquot, Inc., New York, NY; tel (212) 888-7575.

robert_parker 1999

Rating: 88 –89

The almond and flower-scented 1999 Corton Charlemagne (Domaine bottling) has a medium-bodied, plump, and rich personality with excellent density and depth to its white fruit and nut-flavored character. It is also well-balanced, harmonious, and supple. Projected maturity: 2002-2008. Importer: Clicquot, Inc., New York, NY; tel (212) 888-7575.

robert_parker 2001

Rating: 89 –90

Minerals, pears, and apples are found in the nose of the 2001 Corton-Charlemagne. A wine of outstanding breadth, depth, and flesh, it coats the taster’s palate with loads of spicy liquid minerals. Light to medium-bodied and pure, this is a candidate for drinking between 2005 and 2011. Importer: Clicquot, Inc., New York, NY; tel. (212) 888-7575

robert_parker 2002

Rating: 86 –87

Tightly wound, closed, and crystalline, the 2002 Corton-Charlemagne (domaine) reluctantly reveals notes of minerals and citrus fruits in its delineated personality. This wine will need to flesh out and blossom as it finishes elevage to earn a higher score.

robert_parker 1995

Rating: 91 –91

Very representative of its terroir, the Corton Charlemagne has a very deep, super-ripe nose and a mouth full of enticingly ripe tropical fruits. It will age well for the next dozen years. Importer Clicquot, Inc. New York, NY; tel (212) 888-7575 and in Massachusetts: Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel (617) 731-6644. This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy between January 7 and January 29. Ratings with a range of scores in parentheses indicate the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle.

robert_parker 1996

Rating: 90 –92

Revealing a healthy green-hued color, the rich, ripe, dense and butter-scented Corton-Charlemagne is a first-rate offering. Intensely deep and concentrated, this wine possesses a highly-focused, and velvety-textured full body replete with flavors of chalk and buttered lemons. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2007. The rating, with the range of scores in parentheses, indicates the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Importer: Clicquot, Inc., New York, NY; tel (212) 888-7575, and in Massachusetts: Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel (617) 731-6644.

robert_parker 1997

Rating: 89 –91

To ensure optimum ripeness, the Bouchard team harvested its parcel of Corton-Charlemagne three different times . The grapes, which averaged 13.3% natural alcohol, did not require chaptalization. It reveals a sweet baby powder (talcum) and toasted oak nose as well as an intensely ripe yet beautifully balanced character. Apples, metals, minerals, and flower-like flavors can be found in this serious and tightly wound wine. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2007. Importer: Clicquot, Inc., New York, NY; tel (212) 888-7575.