The proprietor of the celebrated Domaine Bonneau du Martray, Jean-Charles le Bault de la Morinière is in Australia for the Brisbane Masterclass Weekend together with Paolo de Marchi of the Tuscan Estate Isole e Olena: http://www.qldmasterclass.com/program.html
Corton-Charlemagne is one of the great white wines of Burgundy, the only Grand Cru outside of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet. Bonneau du Matray is the definitive and greatest domaine of the Corton hill.
Jean-Charles said that 14 parcels of various blocks are separately vinified then finally blended. This is done to identify the individual characteristics of each block and to learn from the minutiae. The elegant patrician Jean-Charles left architectural practice in Paris in 1994 to take over the Domaine from his father. He sees his role as a custodian of the terroir. The running of the domaine is very much a full-time business and he rarely travels overseas. He says that one has to draw everyday to practise architecture and alas for Jean-Charles his former profession will not be applied to the domaine so we cannot expect to find a rival to Herzog & de MeuronÂ’s Dominus, Napa or a Santiago CalatravaÂ’s La Rioja, Bodegas Ysios.
http://www.arch.mcgill.ca/prof/mellin/a ... nery.html;
http://www.arcspace.com/architects/calatrava/wine/
See also http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/c ... 72,00.html
I remember speaking with a very knowledgeable young wine vintner in Nuits – St-Georges who was over the moon about having an appointment with the seigneur. The meeting if it went well might have meant he could stock a small allocation of Bonneau du Martray. But he had to be worthy. It was a huge honour for him.
Here is a snapshot of the wines.
Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 2003
Stone fruit, mineral, quartz, meal and chalk; explosive palate with peacock tail fanned finish. Long and attractive aftertaste finishing crisply. Delightful, if precociously forward.
Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 2002
Pale, more restrained and classical. Shy with hints of freshly baked bread. Round, soft, minerally and complete. Like a sphere, all tension is perfectly braced and controlled. No bumps. A faint hint of sweetness and lime with a bracing attractive long finish. In a word stunning.
Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 1998
More developed in colour. Hint of botrytis. Rich, shows advanced development for its age. Soft with a taste of wet earth. A bit disjointed and lacks the persistence and precision of the 2002 and 2003. Encouraging pettilance on finish, but the weakest in the bracket.
Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 1994
Classy. Beautiful balance, soft and alluring with nuances of butter and citrus. Pale and linear. This has hit a plateau and will hold at this rate for the considerable future. Delightful and upon retaste a joy from an ordinary vintage.
Bonneau du Martray Corton (Rouge) 2001
Some lifted VA. Dark cherry, stalks and truffles. Subdued, shy and slightly diluted. Nice palate caresses àpoint. A very precise wine. Nice consistency and roundness, soft astringent tannins with a compact tight finish. Not a generous wine and far from showy. Grand Cru? Good question. Not today. In 10 years, maybe.
Isole e Olena chardonnay 2003
New world overtones. Dances awkwardly across the palate. Dry with hints of botrytis. Stewed fruit. Clumsy.
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico 2003
Immediately attractive. Lovely savouriness and controlled velvety texture. Very elegant. A cracker. Long, beguiling length. It just comes in waves pulsating over the palate. How good.
Isole e Olena Cepparello 2000
Savoury and sweet with a dusty nose. Hot. Nice velvety texture with soft fine tannins. In a serious bracket this is a bogey among pars and birdies.
Isole e Olena Cepparello 2002
Smart, sophisticated wine. Very fine. Has richness and balance.
Isole e Olena Cepparello 2001
Gorgeous, rich, balanced. Voluptuous mouthfeel. Very powerful.
Isole e Olena Cepparello 1990
Sublime, subtle, sophisticated. Round, delicious savoury notes with new world like ripeness.
Isole e Olena Syrah 2001
Coffee and chocolate. Not in the same league. Pass.
Isole e Olena Cabernet 2000
This works. Savoury and rich. Seems like a stack of alcohol, but it is not. A lovely cabernet no doubt.
Isole e Olena Cepparello 1985
High notes, savoury tannins drying out, ever so drink up now, but it is a beautiful wine. These Cepparelli are a tour de force.
Isole e Olena Cepparello 1995
Full, rich, no bumps. This is balanced, controlled. Beautiful.
I was told by Philip Rich (PWS) that at an earlier masterclass the 1999 Cepparello was the clear stand out wine. The marque is deserving of all the praise that this meteoric estate has garnered. My considerable loss for not tasting the 1999, because the other vintages shown were a revelation. The chardonnay was ordinary; the shiraz did not work and the cabernet was fine, but Sangiovese reigned supreme. Well worth a look.
Neville K