2002 Quintessence de Corton Charlemagne
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Tasting notes
Extremely closed initially; with aeration, this showed tangerine, orange, hazelnut, marzipan and menthol. Hugely concentrated, chewy, solid wine, yet at the same time quite refined. Hints at the complexity to come but not at all exuberant today. A wonderfully pure wine with terrific underlying power and backbone. Opens out impressively on the very long, precise, mineral bath of a finish. From tiny grapes that nonetheless produced 45 hectoliters per hectare (vs. just 28 in 2003). This extremely impressive Corton-Charlemagne really calls for eight to ten years of cellaring.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(a five-barrel lot from what Girardin describes as the best parcel of Aloxe; he was slated to bottle it at the end of November without fining or filtration) Bright, pale yellow. Knockout nose combines pineapple, flint, minerals and cinnamon spice. Wonderfully rich, pure and ripe, with vibrant, extremely intense pineapple, mineral and spice flavors offering a powerful impression of energy. As precise as the flavors are, the wine has an extraordinarily silky mouthfeel and great fullness. Finishes creamy and extremely long. This is the first time Girardin has made this special cuvee, which comes from vines in excess of 50 years of age.