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.

2020

Burghound 93-95: A cool, restrained and airy nose features notes of mineral reduction, smoked green apple and pretty floral wisps. There is fine density and power to the larger-bodied flavors that possess a caressing if markedly intense flavors that exhibit outstanding depth and persistence. This is an excellent wine that displays first-rate fruit-acid and concentration balance.

Wine Advocate 94-96: The 2020 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has turned out especially well, opening in the glass with aromas of pear, peach, white flowers, freshly baked bread, nutmeg and hazelnuts. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it's unusually textural and broad-shouldered for this Ladoix-derived cuvée, displaying bright acids and chalky structuring extract.

Decanter 96: Aromas of ripe pear and quince, with a strong mineral component. The buttery, pleasantly plump side comes out on the palate, but there is no heaviness and the wine stays silky and very fine. The grapes are gently pressed and fermented in cask (half new) with a large percentage of the lees. There is plenty of fruit to support this maturation, however.

2021

Burghound 92-94: Like the Bâtard, generous wood also fights somewhat with the cooler and airier aromas of green apple, pear and a variety of citrus and floral elements. The intense, sleeker and more mineral-inflected flavors don't possess quite the same richness or power yet flash even better detail on the bone-dry, youthfully austere and clean finish that is shaped by lemon-tinged acidity on the impressively long, complex and compact finish where the wood telegraphed by the nose slowly reappears. Lovely.

Wine Advocate 93-95: The 2021 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru was cropped at a mere 12 hectoliters per hectare, yet it remains quite classic in profile, exhibiting notes of lemon zest, pear, nutmeg and pastry cream, followed by a full-bodied, layered and concentrated palate with a satiny attack and a racy spine of acidity, concluding with a chalky finish.

Vinous 92-94: The 2021 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru was heavily affected by the frost resulting in just four barrels rather than the usual 16 or 17; their plot is located on the Ladoix side. At the moment there is quite a bit of reduction on the nose that occludes the terroir expression at the moment. The palate is taut and fresh, a judicious slice of bitter lemon lends tension that sutures with the apricot and lemongrass notes on the finish that has a little more persistence than the Bâtard-Montrachet. Promising despite everything.

Decanter 93: The ’21 Corton-Charlemagne from Faiveley is considerably less rich and opulent than previous warmer vintages. The accent here is on bright grapefruit and lemon peel aromas with a pronounced mineral streak and notes of white flowers. The texture shows lots of tension and crisp acidity, yet the wine is not tart and will undoubtedly age marvelously well. The grapes are gently pressed as whole clusters and fermented in cask (half new). It is produced from a 0.83-hectare parcel in Ladoix next to their Clos des Cortons Faiveley.

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.