Critic ratings
vinous
2010
Rating:
95
–95
Drouhin's 2010 Corton-Charlemagne is impeccably refined from start to finish. Citrus, white flowers and mint all take shape in the glass. This finely sculpted, nuanced, utterly brilliant wine possesses fabulous intensity and pointedness through to the vibrant, polished finish. I love the pure unbridled energy here. This is an exceptional showing from Drouhin. Readers should note that I tasted the domaine bottling that is sold in the US. Drouhin also makes a maison Corton-Charlemagne that is sold elsewhere, but that I did not taste.
vinous
2010
Rating:
92
–95
(not yet racked): Cool aromas of quinine, mint and peppery spices. At once dense and weightless, with a strong stony quality to its highly complex flavors of citrus, white peach, speamint and menthol. Builds impressively on the back half, finishing quite dry and perfumed, with hints of lemon and lime and a fine dusting of tannins.
vinous
2011
Rating:
93
–93
2011 Corton-Charlemagne (from Les Languettes) is wonderfully salty, briny and energetic. Lemon, pastry, spice and slate notes develop in the glass, followed by a wealth of floral notes that give the wine its lift and inner sweetness. It will be interesting to see the direction the 2011 takes over the coming years. Today the 2011 is all about polish and refinement. There is a lot to look forward to here.
vinous
2011
Rating:
93
–93
Yellow-straw color. Flamboyant aromas of nectarine, peach pit, nutmeg, sesame and toasty oak, all lifted by a floral nuance. Rich, silky and mouthfilling, combining an almost glyceral texture with bright acidity and lively spiciness. Very fine-grained stone fruit flavors are complicated by a leesy quality. Finishes seamless, round and long. Suave elevage here.
vinous
2011
Rating:
91
–94
Bright lemon-straw color. Subtle aromas of crushed stone, citrus peel, menthol and ginger; very Corton-Charlemagne. Intensely flavored, tactile and serious but light on its feet, showing lovely citric lift to the crushed stone and lavender flavors. Finishes rich, sweet and long but not at all austere. An excellent showing.
vinous
2019
Rating:
92
–94
The 2019 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru was a small yield this year, with just three barrels produced instead of the usual six. It has an understated bouquet of light dandelion and patisserie aromas. The well-balanced palate displays fine delineation and a tang of marmalade toward the finish. This is a nicely composed Corton-Charlemagne, though I wager it will be best consumed within its first decade.
vinous
2018
Rating:
92
–94
The 2018 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru comes from east-facing vineyards within the Les Languettes, a small production of six barrels. It has a closed and stubbornly backward bouquet that is outflanked by the Clos des Mouches Blanc. The tensile palate delivers good acidity and notes of orange zest and light peach notes, quite pure, and a spicy stem ginger and salty peanut finish. Very fine.
vinous
2020
Rating:
92
–92
The 2020 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is a little conservative on the nose and takes some time to open. Yellow fruit, just a touch of candle wax and just a hint of lime. The palate is rounded on the entry, good weight, honeyed in texture with fine acidity. Just a hint of white pepper perks up the finish here.
robert_parker
2015
Rating:
93
–95
The 2015 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru comes from the lieu-dits of "Les Longuettes" and I tasted from barrel the cuvée owned by the Drouhin family (there is an alternative négoçiant bottling, albeit from another sector). It has a pretty, fragrant bouquet with hints of grilled walnut and smoke. The palate is well balanced, quite generous for a Corton-Charlemagne, rounded in the mouth with subtle tropical notes, mango and guava, towards the finish. This is a superb Corton-Charlemagne from team Drouhin.
robert_parker
2011
Rating:
92
–92
The 2011 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru comes from the estate’s own vines on the east-facing slopes toward the bottom of Les Languettes. It has an elegant bouquet with touches of beeswax, honeycomb and spice that are crisp and well-defined. The palate is medium-bodied with a smudge of lemongrass on the entry, a crisp line of acidity with fine tension on the finish. This is a respectable Corton-Charlemagne that just needs to come out of its shell. Drink 2015-2025+
It is always a pleasure to meet Veronique Drouhin, although this was actually the first time that I had visited their winery on the southern fringe of Beaune. “All the estate has been under biodynamic practices since the mid-1990s (including Chablis) and organic since 1988,” she said to me as we commenced the tasting. “We have been ECOCERT certified since 2009.” I asked her what tangible difference biodynamics have made. “The estate wines have a lot of depth and energy but what is really better is the pH,” she said. She also cited the arrival of head winemaker Jerome Faure-Brac in 2005 as another reason for the improvement in quality. Now their approach is for no compromise on the fruit and to exact precise viticulture for each vineyard. Veronique told me that their entry level Laforet aims to encapsulate the whole picture of Bourgogne. “We know the wine is consumed young so it is not heavily extracted,” she told me. “We look for a lovely fruity, round, elegant Bourgogne. You know, it is easier to make an Amoureuses than a Burgundy Rouge because of the quantity. It is aged in older barrels and it is bottled sooner than in the past.”
Importer: Dreyfus Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770
robert_parker
2010
Rating:
95
–95
Drouhin’s 2010 Corton-Charlemagne is impeccably refined from start to finish. Citrus, white flowers and mint all take shape in the glass. This finely sculpted, nuanced, utterly brilliant wine possesses fabulous intensity and pointedness through to the vibrant, polished finish. I love the pure unbridled energy here. This is an exceptional showing from Drouhin. Readers should note that I tasted the domaine bottling that is sold in the US. Drouhin also makes a maison Corton-Charlemagne that is sold elsewhere, but that I did not taste. Anticipated maturity: 2014+.
This is a striking set of wines from Drouhin. Veronique Drouhin describes 2010 as a year with cool temperatures in July and August, but much better weather in September. As is the case throughout the region, I found the Pulignys especially ripe and exotic. I also tasted a range of the 2011s. Drouhin told me she thought the wines would need a little extra time in barrel to give them more body and volume.
Importer: Dreyfus Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770
robert_parker
2009
Rating:
94
–94
The 2009 Corton-Charlemagne is a big, explosive wine bursting with fruit. It possesses fabulous inner perfume, a layered, deep personality and an impeccable finish. This is a relative understated tyle of Corton that emphasizes elegance over sheer power. I loved it. Anticipated maturity: 2014+.
I tasted the 2009s with Jerome Faure-Brac, Drouhin’s head winemaker. Interestingly, Faure-Brac chose to serve these wines a touch on the warm side, so I could observe their strengths and weaknesses more clearly. It was a high stakes move, especially in a warm vintage. I am not sure I would have had the guts to make that decision, but it speaks of great conviction….and the wines came through beautifully. The 2009 harvest began on September 21st, quite late for the year. New oak levels were down sharply, malos were blocked on a number of wines and the estate did no batonnage. The wines were racked once prior to being bottled.
Importer: Dreyfus Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770
robert_parker
2007
Rating:
93
–93
Drouhin’s 2007 Corton-Charlemagne smells bracingly of lemon zest, lavender, buddleia, salt spray and chalk dust; enlivens the palate with its mixture of fresh citrus, pungent, high-toned herbs, and brine; and finishes with liveliness, lift, and a combination of minerality, lift, and luscious primary fruit that constitute a persuasive advertisement for the virtues of its vintage. Here is a Corton-Charlemagne you can enjoy in its youth, though one certainly hopes and expects it to be worth following for at least a decade. When one considers that this wine – which the Drouhins, understandably, served after their Batard – costs well less than half as much as that wine, it can be no wonder that Burgundy seems a bit crazy to an “untrained” wine lover!
Veronique Drouhin-Boss expressed enormous – and, in my view, justifiable – satisfaction with the 2007 crop of Drouhin whites, admitting that their sense of concentration might strike some observers as paradoxical given the vintage’s relatively high yields. Regular batonnage seems to have been a successful policy here, at least as judged by flattering textures and overt richness (almost atypically so for the vintage) short-term. For an account of Drouhin’s Chablis from 2007, consult the separate report on that region in this issue.
Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818 0770
robert_parker
1989
Rating:
90
–90
There is no question that Drouhin's 1989 Corton-Charlemagne is top notch, with a big, cinnamon, citrusy, baked apple, toasty oak-scented nose, and ripe, intense flavors, all balanced by crisp acidity. This brilliantly well-defined, larger-scaled Corton-Charlemagne should age gracefully for at least a decade.
In such a potentially blockbuster vintage, it was probably difficult for Drouhin to produce his normally restrained, understated style of burgundy. In some of his offerings, the intensity, opulence, and luxurious fruit of the vintage comes through, while in others, those characteristics are muted and subtle.
Importer: Dreyfus Ashby and Co., New York, NY.
robert_parker
2014
Rating:
91
–93
The 2014 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru was picked on September 13, whole cluster fruit and aged for 14 months in oak. It has one of the better Corton-Charlemagne noses, perhaps more intensity and vigor on the nose with almond and coconut sprinkled over the citrus fruit, yet not quite fully letting go. The palate is fresh on the entry with lime and green apple, quite saline in the mouth. The oak here is nicely integrated and just extends the finish, yet still, I found myself wanting this to fan out a little more, spread the peacock's tail further.
robert_parker
2015
Rating:
93
–95
The 2015 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru comes from the lieu-dits of "Les Longuettes" and I tasted from barrel the cuvée owned by the Drouhin family (there is an alternative négoçiant bottling, albeit from another sector). It has a pretty, fragrant bouquet with hints of grilled walnut and smoke. The palate is well balanced, quite generous for a Corton-Charlemagne, rounded in the mouth with subtle tropical notes, mango and guava, towards the finish. This is a superb Corton-Charlemagne from team Drouhin.
robert_parker
2016
Rating:
91
–93
The 2016 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, which is owned by Drouhin and is located in “Longettes,” had quite a virile, fiery bouquet that calmed down with aeration. Hints of tinned peach and dried apricot emerge with time. The palate is quite rich on the entry with lovely honeyed touches both in terms of taste and texture, a spicy vein emerging with time and showing commendable depth toward the finish. Very fine, even if it does not quite match up to their brilliant 2015.
robert_parker
2017
Rating:
93
–95
The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is excellent, unwinding in the glass with aromas of sweet citrus oil, beeswax, white flowers and oyster shell. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, layered and satiny on the attack, with considerable concentration and structuring dry extract, succulent underlying acids and a long, chalky finish. From the south-facing climat Les Languettes, this is one of the highlights of Drouhin's 2017 portfolio.
robert_parker
2009
Rating:
94
–94
The 2009 Corton-Charlemagne is a big, explosive wine bursting with fruit. It possesses fabulous inner perfume, a layered, deep personality and an impeccable finish. This is a relative understated tyle of Corton that emphasizes elegance over sheer power. I loved it. Anticipated maturity: 2014+.
I tasted the 2009s with Jerome Faure-Brac, Drouhin’s head winemaker. Interestingly, Faure-Brac chose to serve these wines a touch on the warm side, so I could observe their strengths and weaknesses more clearly. It was a high stakes move, especially in a warm vintage. I am not sure I would have had the guts to make that decision, but it speaks of great conviction….and the wines came through beautifully. The 2009 harvest began on September 21st, quite late for the year. New oak levels were down sharply, malos were blocked on a number of wines and the estate did no batonnage. The wines were racked once prior to being bottled.
Importer: Dreyfus Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770
robert_parker
2010
Rating:
95
–95
Drouhin’s 2010 Corton-Charlemagne is impeccably refined from start to finish. Citrus, white flowers and mint all take shape in the glass. This finely sculpted, nuanced, utterly brilliant wine possesses fabulous intensity and pointedness through to the vibrant, polished finish. I love the pure unbridled energy here. This is an exceptional showing from Drouhin. Readers should note that I tasted the domaine bottling that is sold in the US. Drouhin also makes a maison Corton-Charlemagne that is sold elsewhere, but that I did not taste. Anticipated maturity: 2014+.
This is a striking set of wines from Drouhin. Veronique Drouhin describes 2010 as a year with cool temperatures in July and August, but much better weather in September. As is the case throughout the region, I found the Pulignys especially ripe and exotic. I also tasted a range of the 2011s. Drouhin told me she thought the wines would need a little extra time in barrel to give them more body and volume.
Importer: Dreyfus Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770
robert_parker
2012
Rating:
93
–95
The 2012 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, which comes from lieu-dit “Les Languettes” was picked on September 19 and comes from their own vines, as it has for the last three vintages. Fortunately, there was no hail but the crop was still reduced by 50%, equating to three barrels in total. It already has an attractive nose, albeit one that is tightly coiled at present, coveting its apricot and beeswax aromas, keeping them back for later. The palate is spicy on the entry with a fine line of acidity. There is lovely weight here, with quite a precocious, yet still tightly wound finish that suggests it deserves five to six years to really come around. Excellent.
The matriarch of Maison Joseph Drouhin, Veronique Drouhin, escorted a group of writers and scribes through her 2012s in London, except for the Grands Echezeaux that happened to not be showing well. Hers were the only 2012s tasted outside Burgundy for this report, in respect of the miniscule quantities. Less for us critics: more for punters, even if it is a drop. The omnipresent story of depleted crops was the same here. In fact, 2012 is their smallest vintage for 50 years. “Everything that you think could happen, did happen,” rued Veronique in her fluent English. “We had frost, hail, storms and even sunburn.” There was some redemption though, a vital one too. “The only thing we did not get was botrytis and so the fruit was healthy. There had been a poor fruit set and a lot of coulure and millerandage. This meant the berries were small and not clustered close together, allowing good air flow between the berries and therefore inhibiting grey rot.” However, the unpredictable growing season proved challenging in the vineyard. “We are 100% organic, so we had to go over and over in the vines. We had to use natural responses to natural problems.” The 2012 vintage also demanded prudent approaches in the winery that could enhance the wines. “One of the most surprising things we found was that it took five to seven days for the fermentation to start. During this period you could extract some interesting things (color, polyphenols etc). Also, we found that the fruit had a long post-fermentation period of up to two weeks, which also benefited the complexity of the fruit. We also had a different approach to the vin de press. When we pressed the white grapes, we separated the end pressings. Using whole clusters means that the stems tend to increase the pH and the acidity goes much lower, which can dilute the cuvee. We had to separate the vin de presse and work each one differently. But in 2012 we did not include much of the vin de presse.” The vinification of such a small quantities springs its own set of problems; after all, you cannot fill all your barrels with marbles to keep them topped up. Fortunately, there was plenty of time to prepare because the February frost had burnt the buds. Poor flowering and fruit set early in the growing season meant that there was plenty of time to place orders for appropriately-sized barrels. “We used 500-liter barrels, which were very useful and similarly sized stainless tell vessels for the wines,” Veronique explained. “We hired a person who specializes in bottling small quantities. Jerome likes them (500-liter barrels) very much. They do not extract much, but they can make very elegant wines.” Perhaps one silver lining is that it has given producers such as Drouhin experience of using alternatively sized vessels that may be used in the future when vintages are more bountiful. At the end of the day, Drouhin have overseen another impressive set of Burgundy wines. While they do not possess the structure of the 2010s, the acidity levels are not dissimilar, although they seem to have more sweetness on the finishes. I concur with Veronique that two appellations that prospered in this vintage are Chassagne in the Cotes de Beaune and Chambolle in the Cotes de Nuits. In particular, the latter is very strong chez Drouhin in 2012, right down to the village cru. She also opined that Rully exceeded expectations, perhaps because the vines were so affected by hail in 2011 and strove to compensate in the following year. Here both the white and red come highly recommended and will probably represent good value. Prices are expected to rise, possibly 10-15% for the village and premier crus, 20% for the grand crus, although nothing had been set at time of writing.
Importer: Dreyfus Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770 and through several importers in the UK via Pol Roger UK Ltd.
robert_parker
2013
Rating:
93
–95
The 2013 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru was affected by a little hail but it was the coulure that reduced the crop down to just three barrels. It has a very lifted bouquet, very opulent and ostentatious and you can forgive it for that. Wonderful delineation and intense yellow plum, Mirin, white peach and mineral scents that swarm from the glass. The palate is very well balanced with impressive weight in the mouth, the acidity finely tuned and a finish that has something almost Napa in terms of its audacity (and that is meant positively not negatively.) Chapeau!
robert_parker
2006
Rating:
92
–92
Drouhin’s 2006 Corton-Charlemagne is from their own holdings in the south-facing Les Languettes, high above Aloxe-Corton at the bend in the grand cru’s horseshoe. Tangerine, lime, flowers, and smoky, toasty notes from barrel on the nose lead to a fine-gained, clear, juicy and appealingly forward palate underlain by ample deposits of the anticipated crushed stone or chalk dust. As generous as it is persistent, it is hard to see this shutting down, if also hard to imagine it being an especially long-keeping example of its site, but it is youthfully ravishing, and perhaps will make a fool of me a decade from now.
The Drouhins started early but picked with a level of meticulousness and at a moderate tempo that most growers did not feel they could afford this vintage. Lees contact was passive and the wines were bottled relatively early. The results are universally rich and accessible, the best wines being those that manage to retain clarity and a measure of vivacity as well as to stand up to their components of new wood. Drouhin has tight viticultural control over the numerous parcels that inform their village level wines, even though most of them are not owned.
Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818 0770
robert_parker
1998
Rating:
88
–88
The overwhelming majority of Corton-Charlemagnes tasted from 1998 were austere, tight, and ungiving. Drouhin's domaine bottling is no exception. Subdued scents of white flowers and minerals give way to an unexciting, yet well-focused, rich, and tightly wound core of minerals, gravel, and lemon-lime flavors. As this youthful offering ages, it may ultimately merit more praise. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2007+.
Importer: Dreyfus Ashby, New York, NY; tel (212) 818-0770.
robert_parker
2000
Rating:
87
–89
The super-spicy, nutmeg-scented 2000 Corton-Charlemagne has a satin-textured, medium to full-bodied personality. It is austere, well-balanced, slightly warm (alcoholic), yet coats the taster's palate with highly expressive cream, spiced oak, and vanilla flavors. Projected maturity: 2004-2012.
Importer: Dreyfus Ashby, New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770.
robert_parker
1995
Rating:
92
–92
With its provocative, earthy, anise nose, the Corton Charlemagne is more floral than the minerally Beaune Clos des Mouches. The most elegant and structured 1995 Corton Charlemagne I tasted, it may lack the sweet explosion of oaky fruit and ostentatiousness one associates with such Cortons as Latour or Coche-Dury, yet it is typified by a refined precision and restraint. Drink it between 1998-2005. This note is the result of tastings I did in Burgundy between January 7 and January 29. Importer: Dreyfus Ashby, New York, NY; tel (212) 818-0770.
robert_parker
1996
Rating:
92
–92
Displaying a ripe, rich, and honeysuckle-infused nose, the Corton-Charlemagne has superb depth of sweet white fruit, a distinct minerality, and a medium-to-full-bodied personality. Its racy, extracted, and powerful core is buttressed by structure-giving acidity. Moreover, it exhibits an impressively long and pure finish. It should be consumed between 2003 and 2009. All of Drouhin's whites, with the sole exception of the Montrachet, were bottled between early September and the end of October, 1997.
Importer: Dreyfus Ashby, New York, NY; tel (212) 818-0770.
james_suckling
2017
Rating:
96
–96
Very attractive wet stones and a wealth of hazelnuts and ripe, fresh and expressive lemons and white peaches. The palate has beautifully complete, fleshy texture, really seamless and underpinned by stony, powerful terroir-driven structure. Exceptional Corton-Charlemagne here. Drink or hold.
james_suckling
2019
Rating:
95
–95
A ripe and generous Corton-Charlemagne with a caramelized-pear aroma, but the stony character that’s typical for the site is the dominant aspect of the wine. Serious structure here! Drink or hold.
james_suckling
2020
Rating:
96
–96
Cool, restrained and mineral with a subtle aroma of violets, this is a youthful and highly structured Corton-Charlemagne that has the noble austerity of this Grand Cru at the very long crushed-stone finish. From a high-altitude parcel on the southeast-facing side of the hill of Corton. Drink or hold.
james_suckling
2021
Rating:
96
–96
Stunning nose of flint, grapefruit pith, jasmine, white tea, white peaches and acacia honey. Praline and salted almonds. While powerful, it’s agile and sleek, sophisticated, with a medium to full body and everything so well integrated. Keeps going. Try after 2024.
james_suckling
2022
Rating:
97
–97
Powerful and refined at the same time, it’s an age-worthy wine that’s already tempting to drink. Generous apple, white peach and lime aromas give way to stony, flinty and tight flavors backed by nervy acidity that will need time to unravel. One of the truly great sites for chardonnay in the Cote d’Or, and this comes from 50-year-old vines. Best from 2028.
james_suckling
2023
Rating:
97
–97
Showing strength with finesse throughout, this white offers wonderful tension, muscle and length. It's medium- to full-bodied with fine phenolics that add focus and intensity. Creamy at the end. Al-dente character with a thick grapeskin edge. Drink or hold.
