Wine Splurge....2012 Corton-Charlemagne

2012 Corton-Charlemagne

So, a follow up to the prior blog entry, Glenn Frey, and the wine from the Bonneau du Martray,  producer in this captivating wine appellation, Corton-Charlemagne, that is within Burgundy, France.  Recorded production of Corton dates back to the early 1300’s. That is a long time for a place to be doing the same thing year after year. Many contemporary wine makers dismiss the importance of place and soil in the resulting wine. No surprise. As mentioned in another recent blog entry, there are so many wineries now and most cannot tie themselves to history, so history is not part of the marketing blather. But it often matters.

Bonneau exists where the chardonnay grape originated. That’s history…There is also the soil. Chalk. A soft form of limestone. Calcium carbonate.  Same stuff  that when processed, becomes the scribe utensil for blackboards.  Minerals from this soil dissolve into the ground water and are drunk up by the vines and may have their affect on the flavors the grapes deliver. When a soil is intense in certain factors, coupled with local climate and the hand of man it affects the wine made from grapes grown there. The French call this Terroir. We call it things like Jersey Corn, Georgia Peaches, Idaho Potatoes, Chicago Polish dogs on a bun. Well, maybe not that last one.

On to tasting notes…We just had the wine with a mild, aged white cheddar cheese, a terrific baguette bread from a local French bakery, ( yessir cowboy, right here in Tucson!).  A dip made from sour cream mixed with inexpensive, sea salty Romanoff jarred caviar and some capers. Some potato chips, a couple of anchovies on the side, some smoked salmon and chilled cooked asparagus spears.

So, forgive me some fun as I offer a description of this wine in the words and style I used in my professional life…so much for marketing blather.

2012 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne:

“At once one is struck by the overt aromas of toast and nuttiness that emerge from this wine as freshly poured into the glass. With time and the development of secondary aromatics, citrus elements begin to reach the nose. It is a unique and heady mix of lime and grapefruit zest. The taste follows the nose with a subtle melange of hazelnut and raw almond flavors coupled with a fruit mix of citrus, sweet dates and ripe apple. In structure, this wine is complete. The aromas are pronounced but not overbearing. They are in balance with the weight of the wine in the mouth. You know you are not tasting water…there is a fullness equal to a fine red wine. This Corton defines complexity of taste as the various flavor components cycle around the mouth. The finish, after swallowing, adds a mushroom-like earthy density pared with a cleansing acidity that calls you back for another taste of food and sip. This is a true classic wine.” 

 Here's Cathy's wine notes....

This wine was a splurge so I had to try it (I am not a white wine fan)....My first reaction was "Eck, it tastes like chardonnay" (my least favorite white wine)....But after a few more sips following bites of Bob's finely selected food to go with the wine, it tasted great!  And you thought RV camping was 

roughing it.....No No!