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Domaine Marius Delarche, Corton-Charlemagne

Other, France 2015 (750mL)
$119.00
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Domaine Marius Delarche, Corton-Charlemagne

Even casual observers of the wine scene have heard something about the 2015 vintage in Burgundy. It was “one of those years” in which a traditionally wet, cold, unpredictable growing zone had an uncharacteristically hot, sunny, dry season. The wines, especially the reds, were generous and expressive on release, which set critics’ tongues wagging—prompting people to sidle up to me at parties and ask stuff like, “So, is the 2015 vintage really all that?” Well, in this case the deck is stacked with Grand Cru provenance, but the answer is still yes.
For our top subscribers, we’ve acquired a few cases of Domaine Marius Delarche’s 2015 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru—an opulent wine even in “off” vintages but especially impressive in 2015. This is everything you could possibly want in Grand Cru white Burgundy, at a rather accessible price, and we expect it to fly out the door. In the interest of fairness, we’re limiting purchases to 3 bottles per customer.
This small (9-hectare) family estate is tucked away in the tiny village of Pernand-Vergelesses, in the shadow of the massive hill of Corton. Etienne Delarche has run the domaine since 2008, and as of yet Delarche remains somewhat under the radar (which may explain the amazing price for a Grand Cru that fetches more than $200 per bottle for some producers, and more than $1500 for superstar Coche-Dury). The Delarche family’s piece of Corton-Charlemagne is said to be measured in rows, not hectares, and these rows sit at the top of the hill in the section called “En Charlemagne,” which faces west toward Pernand. The soils up here are limestone-rich marls with a grayish hue, and the Delarche vines average about 50 years of age.

Corton-Charlemagne takes its name from the famed former French Emperor, who gifted this and other vineyards to the religious community of Saint-Andoche de Saulieu in the year 775. As legend has it, this all-Chardonnay vineyard was once an all-Pinot Noir vineyard, from which the hard-partying Emperor Charlemagne enjoyed many a bottle—staining his white beard pink in the process. In an attempt to clean up his beard, if not his act, the Emperor’s wife had the entire vineyard replanted to Chardonnay and the rest is history. So we have her to thank for Chardonnays like this: concentrated, graceful, long-lived whites that combine both power and grace.

Etienne Delarche’s 2015 was made from hand-harvested, 100% de-stemmed grapes that were fermented in used oak casks using only ambient yeasts. The finished wine was aged in 100% new French oak for 14 months, and yet, even at this young stage, the oak component is well integrated. In the glass, the wine displays a pale, golden-yellow core with green reflections at the rim. The intense, youthful nose is exotic, with focused aromas of dried pineapple, hazelnuts, yellow apple, green peach, yellow plum, acacia and honeysuckle accented by a hint of vanilla bean and toasty oak. The palate is medium-plus in body and delivers powerful, compact minerality, with complex flavors that mirror the nose. The finish goes on forever. Trying to drink this wine now is infanticide, but it’s a great lesson in young Corton-Charlemagne. It is delicious, but the future will show its true potential (if you can wait, I’d say it will be entering its prime drinking window around its 10th birthday).  If you do decide to drink this wine now, decant for two hours and serve at cellar temperature in Burgundy stems—ideally with the most bespoke Roasted Chicken recipe you can handle. Here’s a classic take from chef and restaurateur Jonathan Waxman.
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Country
France
Region
Other
Sub-Region
FranceCorton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Soil
Limestone and Clay
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Chardonnay
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
100% New French
TEMP.
55-60
Glassware
Burgundy Stems
Drinking
2020-2040
Decanting
Two Hours
Pairing
Roast Chicken

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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