1993 Le Corton
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Tasting notes
Good full medium red with an amber edge. Alluring, complex scents of black plum, black raspberry, graphite, violet, dried rose, licorice and musky underbrush, plus some subtle veggie notes of celery seed and beefsteak tomato. Rich, chewy, layered wine without any corners, offering a sexy subtle sweetness and leavening salty minerality to its flavors of dark fruits, flowers and spices complicated by game and underbrush. The wine's broad tannins dust the front teeth on the very long finish. À point right now; in fact, this turned a tad dry with aeration. This fruit was picked at the beginning of October, as in 1995 and 1999. (13.4% alcohol; 3.36 pH; 3.6 g/l acidity)
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Among Faiveley's top grand crus, the Corton-Clos des Cortons exhibits the deepest color. Although it possesses an inner-core of richness and intensity, it is extremely tannic, thus the question mark included with its score. It will be long-lived (10-15+ years), but how much fruit will remain after a decade is debatable. The obvious as well as legitimate question of whether I can review Faiveley's 1993 wines fairly (Faiveley sued me, Simon & Schuster, and its former Chairman of the Board, Richard Snyder, for libel in 1994), will have to be answered by my readers. The 1993s were tasted blind with three other Burgundy enthusiasts, and, true to form, my scores averaged 1-3 points higher per wine than those of my co-tasters. The most successful wines possess the tell-tale hardness, austerity, and toughness of the vintage, but they possess enough fruit to carry them through the 7-10 years they will require to shed some of the tannin. Importer: A Henry Cavalier Selection, various American importers, including Ideal Wines, Medford, MA; tel. (617) 395-3300
About the producer
Domaine Faiveley is one of Burgundy’s most important wine producers. The family-owned estate, now in the hands of the seventh generation, is one of the largest in the region, with significant holdings in both the Côte d’Or and the Côte Chalonnaise.