2006 Corton Charlemagne

Drouhin’s 2006 Corton-Charlemagne is from their own holdings in the south-facing Les Languettes, high above Aloxe-Corton at the bend in the grand cru’s horseshoe. Tangerine, lime, flowers, and smoky, toasty notes from barrel on the nose lead to a fine-gained, clear, juicy and appealingly forward palate underlain by ample deposits of the anticipated crushed stone or chalk dust. As generous as it is persistent, it is hard to see this shutting down, if also hard to imagine it being an especially long-keeping example of its site, but it is youthfully ravishing, and perhaps will make a fool of me a decade from now. The Drouhins started early but picked with a level of meticulousness and at a moderate tempo that most growers did not feel they could afford this vintage. Lees contact was passive and the wines were bottled relatively early. The results are universally rich and accessible, the best wines being those that manage to retain clarity and a measure of vivacity as well as to stand up to their components of new wood. Drouhin has tight viticultural control over the numerous parcels that inform their village level wines, even though most of them are not owned. Importer: Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818 0770