Faiveley Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru

Legend has it that the Corton hillside was once planted exclusively with red grape variety and that Charlemagne himself had a penchant for these wines. Unfortunately, the red wine left scarlet stains in the Emperor's beard and his wife feared that this would bring shame upon the royal dignity.

Charlemagne therefore decided to replant the vineyards with white grape variety in order to continue drinking his favourite wine. Domaine Faiveley purchased this parcel in 1874 along with the Corton "Clos des Cortons Faiveley" Grand Cru Monopole.

Winemaker notes

The nose reveals oaky, fruity and floral notes. The palate is concentrated and well-balanced with excellent aromatic persistency. The rich aromas make this Grand Cru enjoyable in its youth although it only develops its full character after a few years of bottle age. An exceptional wine with depth and minerality.

2022

Burghound 93-96: A more restrained nose only grudgingly displays its aromas of Granny Smith apples, anise, mineral reduction and more discreet floral elements. The racy and tautly muscular large-bodied flavors possess a really lovely texture thanks to the abundant sappy dry extract that also serves to buffer the firm acidity shaping the beautifully long, stony and impeccably well-balanced finale. This also needs to develop better depth but given how tightly wound it is, and given the evident quality of the underlying material, that should simply be a matter of (extended) patience. In sum, this is potentially brilliant.

Wine Advocate 94-96: The 2022 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is brilliant, unfurling in the glass with aromas of citrus zest, white peach, white flowers, fresh mint and wet stones, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and dense, tightly wound palate that's satiny but chiseled, with chalky structuring extract and a long, mineral finish.

James Suckling 98-99: Such a salty wine with intense preserved lemon, flint and chalk dust character. Awe-inspiring power and concentration, yet so bright and vivid, the sweetness of the fruit precisely balanced by the stunning mineral acidity.

Decanter 96: The Corton-Charlemagne from Faiveley in 2022 is a wine of superb intensity, with aromas that range from ripe apricot to apple and citrus, with hints of smoke, mineral, and spice. The wine is rich and dense, with a core of lively acidity that brings everything into marvellous balance. The grapes are from three distinct parcels: a portion of their monopole Clos des Cortons, a parcel down the slope from there, and another at the top, underneath the Bois de Corton that contributes to the freshness.