Domaine Louis Latour, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Burgundy
Domaine Louis Latour, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Burgundy
An introduction to Domaine Louis Latour, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Burgundy
Corton-Charlemagne is a Grand Cru appellation in the Côte de Beaune district of Burgundy. It is dedicated to white wines, mostly Chardonnay, with vineyards located across the upper reaches of the oval-shaped Montagne de Corton Hill. Viticultural laws permit up to 10% Pinot Blanc within vineyards and wines can contain up to 30% Pinot Blanc. The 52-hectare appellation was created in 1937. The legend goes that Emperor Charlemagne ordered the planting of the earliest white grape varieties in Corton. He had been an ardent drinker of red wine, but these stained his beard and this appearance was regarded as unseemly for a monarch. His solution was to develop a taste for white wines instead. The Domaine Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru boasts generous a rounded body of baked fruit with grilled almonds and hints of vanilla, culminating in a delicately woody and mineral-rich finish. James Suckling awarded the 2020 vintage Corton-Charlemagne 97 points while Wine Enthusiast gave the 2002 wine a score of 96. The Domaine Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru will develop further with ten to 15 years of cellaring.
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Understanding Domaine Louis Latour, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Burgundy
At the end of the 19th century, following the decimation of the phylloxera epidemic, the Latour vignerons boldly pulled up their dead Aligoté and Pinot Noir vines, planting Chardonnay in their place. This led to one of Burgundy’s most esteemed white wines. Today, the domaine owns 10.5 hectares, the largest single holding in the appellation. Old vines benefit from a southeasterly aspect for maximum sun exposure, and stony limestone for optimal drainage. Fruit is carefully harvested by hand late in the season in a highly-selective process that ensures only the finest and ripest fruit is vinified. In the winery, this finessed Chardonnay undergoes fermentation in oak followed by complete malolactic fermentation for a creamy, soft mouthfeel. It is aged in 100% new, medium-toasted oak barrels for eight to ten months to allow components to balance and deepen. When describing the Domaine Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne Blanc, James Suckling has said it “…takes your breath away.”