2017 Corton Grand Cru

I tasted the wines in this article during my visit to Bonneau du Martray last summer while the Musique et Vin festival was running, a time that today feels like it belongs to another era entirely. Winemaker Emmanuel Hautus showed me a wide range of vintages, all of which were impressive. I had tasted some of these recently, so I can't say I was entirely surprised. Hautus grouped the Corton-Charlemagnes into three flights: 1) vintages of energy (2005, 2014, 2017), 2) weak vintages (1993, 1994, 2011) and 3) recent vintages (2015, 2016) and the very rare red Corton into two flights: 1) older vintages (1991, 1999, 2003) and 2) newer releases (2015, 2017). Although they had been bottled only a few months before this tasting, the 2017s, the first vintage made under new owner Stan Kroenke, point to a very bright future.

No domaine is more synonymous with Corton-Charlemagne than Bonneau du Martray. So when news came that reclusive American billionaire Stanley Kroenke had bought the estate from the family of Jean-Charles Le Bault de la Morinière, it inevitably caused ripples across Burgundy and beyond. Whenever an outsider buys a famous and historic domaine, it creates a sense of unease, a break in continuity and speculation upon what will change. Add into the mix Aubert de Villaine renting 2.8 hectares of their holdings from 2018 onwards, and people naturally chatter about the direction Bonneau du Martray is heading. So what is going on? I met manager Thibault Jacquet along with winemaker Emmanuel Hautus and vineyard manager Fabien Esthor. Together we trooped up to take in the view of the famous Corton-Charlemagne hill on an unseasonably warm October morning, the vine leaves iridescent shades of mustard, as if painted by van Gogh. Thibault pointed out their vineyard holdings, including two parcels pulled up because their vines are no longer productive. One had been cleared the previous day and the funeral pyre of trunks could still be seen. He told me that they have conducted an analysis of all the plots, covering altitude, geology, soil type, vine age and rootstock, and found that some terroirs have very similar characteristics. According to Thibault, these duplications have allowed the domaine to rent out the vineyard to de Villaine, whilst maintaining the essential character of Corton-Charlemagne in the past. Of course, what both domaines share is an application of biodynamic techniques. Back at the winery, there are all manner of new additions, including different-sized concrete eggs and a clay amphora sitting between the rows of stainless-steel vats, not to mention recently introduced cigar-shaped barrels and demi-muids that reduce wood influence.

Certainly there is a newfound sense of experimentation, and they have an advantage in that they own such sizeable holdings. Unlike other domaines afforded just a few rows of vines, they can countenance a degree of trial and error or sell off unsatisfactory barrels in order to uphold the final quality of wine. Unlike previous visits, they offered samples from various parcels according to altitude and, on this occasion, size of barrel. This is always a useful insight, though of course what matters to consumers is the final blend. Thankfully, I find a lot of promise in the 2017 Corton-Charlemagne, which was picked September 1–6 and will be bottled according to the lunar calendar, around Easter. I admire the tension and harmony, although it will require two or three years for the wood to fully assimilate on the nose. As for its red counterpart, picked on August 31, to be frank, this is where work needs to be done. The 2017 Le Corton still feels too rustic at a time when many of its peers are showing more finesse and purity of fruit. It just feels a little… clunky. I wonder whether this was actually picked a couple of days prematurely.

It will be interesting to plot the progress of the domaine over the coming years. Clearly, much is changing in terms of holdings and techniques, though they impressed upon me that the personnel will remain constant. Premature oxidation has plagued back vintages and I hope this will not be ignored, because certainly here in the UK, it tarnished the domaine’s reputation, making their application of biodynamics inconsequential when the affected bottles were barely drinkable. It will be fascinating to compare to two Corton-Charlemagnes from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Bonneau du Martray side by side, but given the potential of the 2017, I feel that the latter is setting the right course.