CORTON CLOS DU ROI

(this has the highest average vine age of these grands crus at 40+ years of age). This is classic Clos du Roi with the hallmark intense sauvage character that suffuses this wine from head to toe. The ripe nose of red and dark berry fruit is abundantly laced with earth and floral scents. The muscular, round and impressively scaled flavors possess excellent richness as well as plenty of wonderful tension before terminating in an explosive mineral-inflected finish that is quite firm and austere. This is an exceptionally serious wine that should age for years yet isn’t overtly hard. In short, this is textbook Clos du Roi. 2025+ Rating: 94 Allen Meadows, www.Burghound.com (Apr 2012)

Good medium red. Floral, rather delicate nose. Then sappy and expressive on the palate, with a distinctly high-toned impression to the flavors of flowers, exotic spices and minerals. The soil is like that of Corton-Charlemagne just above it, notes Claude de Nicolay, which is what gives the wine its firm acidity and limestone character. Boasts terrific tension without any impression of weight. Finishes with splendid mineral density and outstanding subtle, mounting length. The crop level here was just 15 hectoliters per hectare and the wine was aged in two 350-liter, six-year-old barrels from Domaine Dujac. Leaves the salivary glands quivering. This wine and the Bressandes should go on for decades. Rating: 93 - 96 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Jan 2012)

4 barrels. 100% whole bunch. Limestone and white soil and always more austere. This has some exotic flowers on the aroma. Rich and ripe and powerful (within the style of this domaine). Gorgeous fruit, fresh and intense and concentrated. It is compact and layered and intense. It has muscle with elegance. Somewhat more substantial tannins, bigger but smoothly honed tannins. The finish is very long and powerful. It is not at all showy though. Very fine. From 2020 Rating: 19 Sarah Marsh MW, The Burgundy Briefing (Jan 2012)