Our wine club Euryanthe organized 2 blind tastings : Corton Charlemagne 2006 ( and 2007 premier cru’s red Burgundy , but that’s another story ). I included a ringer… nobody noticed
Lacks substance and power . Not enough for a CC . 89/100 ( Drouhin )
Nice acidity . Fresh . Chalky . Light body but nice aromatics . 92/100 ( Henri Boillot )
Fresh and mineral . Lot’s of extract . Floral . 93/100 ( Chateauneuf-du-pape 2009 : Magis : from Mounir and Rotem Saouma )
Floral and mineral with great lenght .medium-to full bodied . Delicious wine . 94/100 ( Domaine Faiveley )
Citrus , minerals , touch of honey , en finesse ; this is a top wine . Ready too . 95/100 ( Bouchard ! )
Rather closed and unyielding . Not complex and rather uninteresting . 90/100 ? ( Coche Dury )( after unblinding and another hour in an open bottle , this wine became more interesting . Still , it lacks freshness to be a great Coche )
White flowers , pear and spices . Lacks freshness . Good body . 92/100 ( Lucien le Moine )
A wine with lot’s of everything but it lacks precision . Not enough freshness either . Floral yes , but where is the chalk ? 91/100 ( PY Colin ).
So Allen Meadows nailed this Bouchard , which he scored a 96/100 and his nr 1 of CC 2006 . Our blind tasting team agreed .
Overall , 2006 is " une année précosse " : forward fruit , a bit too heavy and lacking minerality and freshness to be great . These wines won’t last either .
Nice Chateauneuf from Mounir and Rotem Saouma . This 2009 white wine was aged on it’s lees for 2 years and was still in barrel when most CNP’s from 2010 were allready bottled . People didn’t notice , also because 2006 is a vintage that shares characteristics of Southern Rhone .
Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 2006 : 17,5/18
Nez jaillissant, près du raisin, alliant des senteurs délicates : citron givré, citronnelle, fleurs blanches. Plastique classique, pure, minérale, svelte, longue, tout en puissance cachée. Un millésime généreux en goûts et d’une grande cohésion. Plus élancé et posé que le riche et explosif 2005 bu juste avant. On peut donc produire d’une année à l’autre des grands vins qui ne se ressemblent pas … Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne 2006 : 18/20
Il apparaît compact, moins aromatique (fruits blancs, agrumes, notes végétales nobles, bâton de réglisse, poivre blanc subtil), plus minéral. Bouche vibrante, subtilement mentholée, bien mûre, effilée, interminable. Un vin moins causant que l’étincelant 2006 de Bonneau du Martray. Son potentiel n’en est pas moins phénoménal.
Definitly not an easy wine (as the 1996 turned out to be).
Herwig,
Thanks for excellent TNs as usual. Did you informed about the ringer?
As you know, I really don’t care for the 06 whites and especially the CCs. I sounds like Bouchard and Faiveley made the excellent CC.
Herwig:
Thanks for the notes. I did a blind tasting of 12 2006 corton charlemagne’s shortly after release. I think the notes are probably on the Parker board and my recollection isn’t perfect, but I remember thinking that '06 was a vintage that I wanted to stay away from. Interestingly, the Coche Dury was one of the least favorite wines of the night. I remember Leroy being the clear favorite and a really fabulous wine (with the price tag to go with it). And I remember the Faiveley being irredeemably corked. Girardin was a nice surprise that night. Blind tasting is always the best!
Thanks for the notes! Like Kevin, I am not a fan of 2006 generally for whites (I’m not sure I even own any), but blind comparisons are always informative. For what it is worth, I think Bouchard makes a great Corton Charlie in almost every vintage. I would normally say that for H. Boillot as well.
