Domaine Rapet Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2021, 750ml

Rapet's Corton Charlemagne vineyard has vines ranging from over 50 years old to about 10 years old, combining the power of older vines with the finesse of younger ones.

"Charlemagne" is linked to a historical endowment when Charlemagne donated his vineyards to the Saulieu Collegiate in 775.

This southwest facing Grand Cru is planted on sand and lime marl on a very steep slope. The shallow top-layer soil, composed of crumbly rock, is light, poor, and very stony.

The appellation, introduced in 1937, covers multiple vineyard climats across the hilltop. The site runs from the Le Charlemagne portion in the west to the Le Corton portion in the east.

Vines occupy the slopes of the hill for almost its entire circumference, and there are around 52 hectares of vineyard entitled to use the Corton-Charlemagne title. The top of the hill is covered in dense woodland, crucial for the mesoclimate.

The grapes are pressed using a pneumatic press for two hours. After settling at low temperatures for 24 hours, the juice is moved to barrels, with 30% being new, for fermentation. The wine ages on lees with stirring and is bottled after 12 months.

Tasting Note:

Pale colour, backward nose, white flowers perhaps. This has a fine balanced fruit, actually sweeter and riper, then oakier behind, with an attractive mineral thread.