The fabulous 1997 Corton-Charlemagne was harvested extremely late according to Natalie Tollot. Its complex aromatics reveal peach pits, apricots, minerals, and traces of buttered toast. This extremely well-balanced wine is medium-to-full-bodied, displays huge ripeness, and is crammed with mouth-coating layers of oily nuts, poached pears, and smoked bacon. As a fan of Tollot-Beaut's generally elegant, highly focused, and often austere (when young) Corton-Charlemagnes, I found the 1997 atypical for this estate. It has excellent delineation and definition yet it is opulent, forward, luxuriously fruity and decadent. Anticipated maturity: now-2006+.
Importer: Seagram Chateau & Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel (212) 572-7725.