Tasted in Pernand with Jean-Charles le Bault de la Morinière, 15 December, 2016.

Bonneau du Martray
2 Rue de Frétile
21420 Pernand-Vergelesses
Tel: +33 3 80 21 50 64
www.bonneaudumartray.com

Jean-Charles on 2016:
“2016 here is the same story as everywhere; with this awful event, I wont even call it a Spring frost as it came so late, but in this neighbourhood some neighbours have only 20% of what the harvest should be. We were also caught, but our vines are higher, we still lost 40% of our white harvest, and from the 20 barrels of reds we should have, there were just 8. The frost affected the vines all the way from Pernand to the cross of Charlemagne, after the cross, direction Aloxe and Ladoix, there was very little damage – the frost came from the valleys on both sides of the Corton hill.

“Otherwise, when the growth came back, the secondary buds, there was also worry over mildew, but we succeeded – and while staying biodynamic – which was rewarding. In fact twice it wasn’t possible to treat with machines, so we had to do it by foot with atomisers – 11 hectares! But once the summer came in, it was fine. The sorting was easy, but it will be hard for the market with so little wine.”

Jean-Charles on 2015:
“July was exceptionally warm and dry, yet August, whilst nice, was of average temperatures with beneficial falls of rain..”

The wines…

The 2015 Corton clearly shows it ripeness, almost more than its Corton-ness – but it will only need time to add some rigour – it’s simply too enjoyable today. Likewise the Corton-Charlemagne is certainly from a ripe vintage, but is well-packed with minerality and already a good base-line of acidity before it starts its journey in bottle.

Talking of bottles, there is subtle revamp here with new bottles – more waisted, narrower in the neck and with the name of the domaine stamped into the base of the bottle.

2015 Corton
Racked into stainless-steel tanks in mid-October. Bottling will most likely be in April
Ooh, deep cordial red fruit, ripe with engaging herbed and fresh top notes. Wide, fresh, a little cushioning of ripeness, really a very good texture and a growing weight of flavour in the mid-palate. Fresh finishing, really a nice shape, perhaps a little warm but really persistent – faintly herbed and totally delicious!

2014 Corton
The current release, though now finished.
A deep red fruit, faintly herbed, a fresher nose, hmm. Clearly less overt ripeness, but this is layered, beautifully textured, faintly saline and more obviously Corton – though very finely packaged Corton. Floral and complex finishing. I have a ridiculous preference for the rigour of this wine – there is a certain vibrancy here too. Yum!

Le Blanc

2015 Corton-Charlemagne
This was racked with its fine lees in September.
Modestly pale colour. Hmm, freshness and minerals – this is really inviting. Supple but fresh, complex, even, I would say, with some elegance in its delivery. Big in the mid-palate and in the finish – long and very wide finishing, very persistent. Just a beautiful wine.