We drank this wine with our Sunday Dinner with some friends. Santenay based Jean-François Chapelle started biodynamic agriculture in 2002 and this wine reflects some of the philosophy of his vine growing and vine making techniques.
This wine was not fined or filtered so of course there was sediment in the wine. I had to keep it upright for several hours and decant the bottle. It is obvious that the producer takes care in both the vienyard and the winery and is proud of his product and has good reason to be.
Corton Red Burgundy is unapproachable when young and needs ten years in the bottle to become fully developed for drinking. It has its own appellation: Appellation D'Origine Corton Contrôlée.
I always find that Corton is an enigmatic wine and this one is no different. I tasted the wine and wrote a tasting note before my guests arrived. This wine has none of the richness of its grand cru cousins from the Côte de Nuits. It is quite sinuous and to my mind austere on the palate and this vintage did not show any fresh fruit flavours.
The wine does show the typical character of the Corton appellation it has ripe fruit flavours with tones of minerality, spice and cloves. The flavours are intense and complex and are savoury on the tongue. The aromas were intense enough to penetrate my heavy cold and they remained on the palate for a long time. But for me something was missing; the fruit was more like stewed plums rather than fresh tasting like cherries.
Objectively this is very good wine but it did not move my subjective spirit. Our good friends were dining with us; the husband who rarely drinks anything but Bordeaux or Burgundy was bemused by the wine. He could not guess where it was from. I even had to remind him that it was France. Being put on the spot did not help.
His wife,who I interrupted in full conversational flow, guessed it was from Burgundy - good tasting there.
My wife commented on the lack of cabbage like aromas - there was no mercaptan in this wine. My friends reaction to the wine indicates to me that it is better not to think too much when trying to identify where a wine comes from. It is best to be in a completely relaxed state of mind and rely on your unconscious rather than analytical mind.
The Corton hill (388 meters high) is situated near the village of Aloxe-Corton, which is a charming village that has escaped 20th and 21st century modernity. For me, this hill has an almost primeval feeling but of course the evidence of man is everywhere. The hill is covered with vines except for the trees on the the summit.
The Corton hill has a varied geology with some soils being suited to red wine production from the Pinot Noir grape. Other parcels of land are more suited to white wine production from Chardonnay. Chapelle's Corton is blended from different parcels of vineyards (or climats) from the Grand Cru sections of the hill. These vineyards are located on Jurassic marl soils.
The soil on the has a considerable influence on the terroir and the character of the wine. The wines express the terroir and this expression of terroir lends itself to high quality wine production.
Despite the pedigree of the wine I am not convinced that it is outstanding wine which has exceptional value for money. It appeals more to my objective senses than my emotional ones. Perhaps, this is what bemused my friend too and that is why he could not pin it down to where it came from. However, I did enjoy the wine as it appealed to the wine "expert" in me. It is a wine to be savoured with food.
My wife, whose father comes from Burgundy has no difficulty with this wine as its the soil: its the soil that matters. She thought the wine was very good. You may think so too. On another day and without a heavy cold I could have judged this wine differently.
Tasting Note:
Wine: Jean-François Chapelle Corton Grand Cru 2002 AOC Corton red Burgundy
Appearance: Clear Bright with a light burgundy colour. Tears.
Nose: Pronounced aroma of plums and prunes and ripe red fruits. Also some flavours of mineral and spice. It is fully developed and can be drunk now.
Palate: Dry, Medium body, medium alcohol and acidity, medium plus tannin which is now softening. Complex and concentrated flavours of ripe red fruits , plums and prunes,spices, cloves, marzinpan. the wine also has a savoury flavour. The wine is sinuous and slightly rustic. Very long length and the savoury taste remains on the palate for a long time.
Observations: Objectively I have to say that this is a very good, high quality wine but for me it is not exceptional. It has all the hallmarks of a very well structured and integrated wine but it did not move my spirit. At the elevated prices for Burgundy, it is not good value for money.
http://www.domainechapelle.com/fr/vins/rouges/corton-grand-cru-13.htm
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