Aromas of pear, citrus zest, struck match, fresh bread and pastry cream introduce Drouhin's 2020 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (Domaine), a full-bodied, deep and complete wine that's satiny and layered, with lively acids and a chalky finish.

From holdings located in the south-facing climat Les Languettes, Drouhin produced three barrels of the 2019 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (Domaine), a medium to full-bodied, layered and nicely concentrated wine that's bright and structured, evocative of white flowers, pomelo, orange oil and buttery pastry.

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.

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