There is a lot to like about the 2010 Corton-Charlemagne. Today the wine is very much folded in on itself, but it appears quite obvious it has more than enough fruit to fill out its broad-shouldered frame nicely. White flowers, pears and crushed rocks are some of the nuances that emerge as the wine shows off its focused, vibrant personality. In 2010, the Corton-Charlemagne is simply dazzling. I hope to taste it again with a little bottle age. This is a tremendous showing from Morey-Blanc. Anticipated maturity: 2015+. Morey-Blanc is the negociant operation Pierre Morey originally started with his wife to compensate for the loss of fruit from parcels he had previously farmed under a share cropping agreement with Comtes Lafon. The wines are aged in Morey’s cellars in Puligny, along with the domaine wines. Importers: Martin Scott Wines, Little Neck, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808, The Source, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 621-6151, Wines Unlimited New, Orleans, LA; tel. (501) 897-0191, A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet, various other American importers.

Chalky and fusil, as well as tight, tart, almost oxalic both on the nose and in its initial palate impact, the Morey-Blanc 2007 Corton Charlemagne (from three tiny parcels) shows a rather overt woodiness in part precisely by contrast with the relative austerity of its fruit and mineral personality. (The share of new barrel is just under half.) “This wine automatically has a difficult period soon after bottling,” says Morey, implying that I am still tasting within that period. It’s hard to fault this on sheer concentration, certainly, and I can well imagine this wine – which Morey clearly considers one of his better efforts with this appellation – being worth following for a decade. Pierre Morey bottled the 2007s under his negociant label Morey-Blanc in early Spring, a bit ahead of his estate wines in the expectation that the former will open-up sooner for early enjoyment. I did not taste all of Morey’s offerings under this label, and some of the less expensive bottlings that I did taste were slightly inharmonious. Importer: Wilson-Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661