The nose is wide and populated with seemingly ‘soft aromas’. Again, in the mouth there is width and certainly a softer packaging than the 2002 vintage. The acidity is the undercurrent that brings this together as a whole.
Corton-Charlemagne
2001 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne
2001 Boillot Henri Corton-Charlemagne
My last two bottles showed a hint of oxidation, so here’s the last one of six. Medium gold – it seemed lighter on pouring. The nose has no obvious oxidation, rather caramel and toffee over sweet fruit. Soft textured with understated acidity. Versus its youth there’s an understated intensity and equally understated – though long – finish with just a hint of gunflint. Just a youthful wine going through a tight phase. Given the track record in my cellar I won’t be rebuying, but this was a very nice bottle.
2001 Boillot Henri Corton-Charlemagne
Not light colour – at least not when using the previous two as reference. Very ripe, honey on the nose. In the mouth it’s fat and concentrated – no obvious oxidation aromas or flavours – but not the zing, not the painful intensity and not the haunting finish of those first bottles – comment from winemaker friend #2: “you called me round just to taste this?” – ouch.
2001 Dubreuil-Fontaine Corton-Charlemagne
2001 En Truffière (Vincent Girardin) Corton-Charlemagne
2001 Dubreuil-Fontaine Corton-Charlemagne
Quite pale. A pure and understated nose that gives few hints to the depth to come. The palate shows quite a fat attack becoming more mineral on the mid-palate and into the finish. Slowly fading length. Has classic Charlemagne attack, but the overall style is closer to the understatement of 2001 from Bonneau du Martray than the outright power of Henri Boillot’s 2001. I bought a couple more of these.
2001 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne
2001 Boillot Henri Corton-Charlemagne
Deeply coloured for such a young wine, a shimmering gold. The nose has a creamy fruit-salad sense to it, almost brooding. The palate is a Charlemagne tour-de-force with it’s upfront burst of flavour and stunning concentration – it was a challenge to drink the second glass – but I persevered!. Keeping the wine in your mouth brings thoughts of a stream gushing over rock, but if you need a respite and try swallowing you’re in for a shock, it’s like opening the curtains and letting in the sun as the finish unfolds with deep, creamy waves. Best young Charlie I ever tried – as if I haven’t bought enough white wine already…