### 1986 Domaine Jean-François Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru and 1989 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru

BY NEAL MARTIN | JULY 01, 2024

In the fledgling days of my wine career, long before I put pen to paper, I used to visit a reputable merchant in deepest Suffolk. These were thoroughly enjoyable away days from the office. We would often repair to a local fish restaurant to imbibe the rest of the afternoon away, skivers that we were. I vividly recall one occasion when the merchant regaled a bottle drunk recently. He rhapsodized that wine so much that his words have always stayed with me. Unfortunately, even then, 20-plus years ago, this wine was so unfathomably rare that the chances of even finding a bottle, let alone drinking one, were remote. Of course, back then, I had not counted on munificent wine friends…

The bottle was the **1986 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru** from **Domaine Jean-François Coche-Dury**. It was the maiden vintage from a parcel planted in 1960 in the _climat_ of Le Charlemagne and yielded just six casks per year, around 1,800 bottles. I believe this was _en fermage_ at the time, as Clive Coates writes that the owner lived in Chambery. Following a horizontal of bottled 2020s at Dorian restaurant, it was served blind to an unsuspecting audience, thankfully including yours truly.

![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1719595666331-CF_Corton+Charlemagne+1986.jpg)

The 1986 has a burnished hue, light straw in color. The nose is fully mature and smells of melted beeswax, sea spray, peach skin and guava. It is actually more tropically driven than expected, far more than the 2005, which I consider the apogee of this cuvée. The palate is well balanced, though I would not describe it as ‘complex’. Oddly, there is an almost Germanic feel to this Corton-Charlemagne, slightly waxy in texture and honeyed towards the finish at the expense of tension. Perhaps this bottle falls far short of the eulogy that I heard all those years ago. Nevertheless, it was another “I’ll never drink that” to tick off my list. If you are lucky enough to own a bottle, I wouldn’t keep it too much longer. **91** /Drink 2024-2029.

In fact, it was surpassed by another bottle from the Domaine served in tandem. The **1989 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru** is superb. The nose is, again, fully mature, yet there is much more delineation and _mineralité_ than in the 1986 Corton-Charlemagne. Dried honey, chai, hints of petrichor and beeswax are all very complex and involving. The palate is quintessential Les Perrières, that _mineralité_ undeniable. There is impressive depth and concentration counterbalanced by superb acidity. White chocolate, chamomile and white peach appear towards the elegant and pure finish. Superb. **94** /Drink 2024-2036.

_© 2024, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism._



Cellar Favorite: 1986 Domaine Jean-François Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru and 1989 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru

Cellar Favorite: 1986 Domaine Jean-François Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru and 1989 Meursault Les Perrières 1er Cru (Jul 2024)

ConstantScore(-article_id:{312 381 422 466 735 1092 1114 1146 1208 1209 1210 1231 1235 1241 1242 1245 1249 1258 1261 1276 1283 1298 1302 1312 1321 1325 1338 1601 1734 1980 1998 2164 2193 2198 2268 2425 2529 2566 2825 2994 3120 3140 3371 3977 4341} #producer.id:3070 #article_id:[4154 TO 4154])

DocValuesFieldExistsQuery [field=_primary_term]

Domaine Jean-François Coche-Dury

Content

Engage

Vinous

Social