The 2016 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru was badly hit by the frost since the domaine's parcel is situated on the Pernand side of the hill (whereas the Aloxe-Corton side was less affected). Quantity was reduced by almost 70%. It has a comparatively austere bouquet for a Corton-Charlemagne, reserved at first with granite and sea spray scents. The palate is medium-bodied and balanced, with a touch of spice on the entry, although I feel it lacks weight and matière on the mid-palate and attenuates slightly toward the finish. I just feel that the frost devastation compromised the final quality of this Corton-Charlemagne.

The 2015 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has a lovely bouquet: hints of grilled almond and pine nuts fusing with the citrus fruit, tight at first but opening nicely with aeration. The palate is very well balanced, tightly-bound at the moment, not a heavy or powerful Corton-Charlemagne, but sporting a very attractive, fresh and stony, slightly reserved finish. Nothing extraordinary or overly-ambitious, nevertheless, this is a well-made Corton-Charlemagne from the domaine.

The 2014 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru was affected by hail in this vintage and the domaine lost around 40% of the crop (though less than last year). Perhaps that is reflected on the nose that does not quite have the killer delineation of the domaine's premier cru Pernand-Vergelesses. The palate is vibrant and saline in the mouth, and frankly it is much better than the aromatics with a keen citrus thread of acidity and a lovely saline finish. Hopefully the nose will meliorate with bottle age... we will see.

The 2013 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has a reticent nose at first but it opens with time in the glass: lime flower, cold limestone, a hint of wild mint and garrigue in the background. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry with a crisp line of acidity, very harmonious with a long and tender, minerally finish. This is a lovely Corton-Charlemagne. Excellent.

The 2012 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru comes from 0.75-hectare of vineyards planted in the Pernand-Vergelesses: two parcels, one just in front of the “Le Charlemagne” restaurant. It has a very mineral-driven bouquet that is tightly wound at the moment, with a subtle walnut note scampering around in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with a very pure, quite spicy entry with notes of dried honey and nutmeg. Good weight in the mouth here, nicely balanced with a crisp, tense finish, this is a very fine Corton-Charlemagne that should age well. My first visit of my fortnight stint in Burgundy was to a grower whose wines I have frequently enjoyed in recent years, but whose Pernand-Vergelesses winery I had never visited: Dubreuil-Fontaine. Most people have probably driven past in on their way up to Bonneau du Martray, but my advice is to take time and visit, because the wines make it all worthwhile. Christine Gruere Dubreuil started working with her father Bernard in 1991, tending holdings in Pommard, Volnay and Beaune that were handed down from her mother’s side of the family. The winery itself was built in 1985. She took sole responsibility for the winemaking in 2000, the fifth generation to do so. She currently looks after around 20-hectares of vine tended under lutte raisonnee principles scattered over 20 lieux-dits around Pernand-Vergelesses and Corton, plus nearby appellations. “It was a difficult vintage with the weather,” she told me in her superb English learned from her time in California. “We got hail in Volnay, Pommard and Beaune but in Pernand-Vergelesses it was fine. However yields were not high because of the cold weather during flowering, but finally the grapes looked good and there was no grey rot. We started the harvest around the 20 September and we did not need much sorting. We are happy with the vintage. The whites were just bottled just before crush and the reds will be bottled between December and March. We made pigeage twice daily during fermentation with some remontage towards the end depending on cru. I don’t like to extract too much.” I tasted most of the wines with Christine. I had wanted to return to finish them off but I ran out of time that day. But I thoroughly enjoyed what I did taste. These wines are clean and fresh, adept at expressing their unique terroirs, making the use of their old vine parcels. The use of oak here is nicely judged, around 25% for the village crus and around 30 to 35% for the grand cru. Prices look very reasonable compared to others and I certainly would be stocking up with Christine’s whites and reds in 2012. Importer: APS Wine & Spirits, 9401 San Leandro St, Oakland, CA 94603 Tel; 510 638 5200 and DB Wines in Boston. Also available through Avery’s and Laithwaites/Direct Wines in UK.