No Excuses, Just Nailing It
2009 Bouchard Corton-Charlemagne
Consistency, Persistency, Concentration, Class
For the last six years, this has been the great Grand Cru Burgundy value, and one of the most consistent white wines in the world.
Yes, that’s a strong statement, and yes, I stand by it. Bouchard simply can’t seem to miss with Corton-Charlemagne: Every vintage from 2004 on has been remarkable - and the 2009 is no different.
Even in this riper, more forward vintage in Burgundy - where most, like us, are admitting it’s more of a “red” vintage - winemaker Philippe Prost made no excuses for Bouchard's whites and simply nailed this wine, hammering it home with all the Grand Cru grandeur it deserves.
As Allen Meadows remarks in his spot-on tasting note: “A cool, fresh and densely fruited nose of crushed citrus, green apple and mineral reduction gives way to seriously concentrated and overtly muscular flavors that possess a suave and silky mouth feel yet do not lack for an underlying reserve of power.”
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At $114.95 a bottle today - we have magnums, too, which go out with very nearly NO markup for the format, at $234.95 each - this also has to be one of the smartest Grand Cru 09 white Burgundy buys out there. The quality for the price is outstanding.
Ian and I tasted the 09 Corton-Charlemagne over the summer and were extremely impressed with the way it maintained a strong linear drive, even as it’s fleshed out a bit more with beautiful, mouth-filling, succulent fruit. The flavor spectrum still rings clearly with green apples and vibrant citrus, though there’s also a slightly more exotic element to it as well - some pineapple and a bit of melon lending yet another layer of complexity.
Underneath everything is a solid base of dark, pungent minerals, all veined with what’s really quite solid acidity. On the finish, an indication of the richness of the vintage comes through, but the wine is also very persistent. That reverberating finish is something we’ve come to always look forward to in Bouchard’s Corton-Charlemagnes, and it’s nice to see it in full effect here.
This clearly has all its Grand Cru "stuff" - and certainly enough to definitively last in the cellar for a decade and beyond, which isn’t exactly par for the course in 09 - many simply have loads of fruit but lower acids and beg to be drunk sooner. And while I can’t help but love the way this is showing right now, I strongly believe that, especially for the sharp price - which is among the lowest in the nation today - it’s worth stocking up on this bottle to enjoy in the mid-term and the long-term.
It's not really any secret that 2009s were nearly across-the-board great for red Burgundy, but that the whites require considerably more sussing out to find those that will not only thrill now but will also bear solid witness to some time in the cellar. Well, we've done our homework, and this is undoubtedly one of the gems of 09 that smart collections won't be missing.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Robert Schagrin
Managing Partner
Crush Wine & Spirits
