シャルルマーニュ
コート・ド・ボーヌの北端、アロース・コルトンとペルナン・ヴェルジュレスの両村にまたがるシャルルマーニュは、コルトンの丘の上部に位置する特級畑である。標高の高い西向きの斜面に位置し、白亜質の石灰岩土壌が特徴だ。総面積は約17ヘクタールに及び、主要な所有者には0.82ヘクタールを擁するオスピス・ド・ボーヌをはじめ、ドメーヌ・ド・ラ・ヴージュレ（0.42ヘクタール）、ボノー・デュ・マルトレイ（0.25ヘクタール）、ルイ・ラトゥール（0.03ヘクタール）らが名を連ねる。この畑から生まれるシャルドネは、丘の頂部ならではの冷涼な微気候を反映し、鋼のような骨格と緻密なミネラル感を備えた長期熟成型の白ワインを生み出している。
Charlemagne is one of three grand cru appellations on the Corton hill, alongside Corton and Corton-Charlemagne. Established as a separate white-wine grand cru in 1937, it draws on the same imperial legend as Corton-Charlemagne — the emperor's reputed ownership of the hill in the ninth century. In practice, its territory overlaps substantially with Corton-Charlemagne, meaning the same plots typically qualify under both names.
That overlap explains why virtually all growers bottle under the better-known Corton-Charlemagne label instead. The Charlemagne AOC has become, in effect, the least-used appellation on the hill.
In 2008, only 0.28 ha of the *En Charlemagne* plot was declared under the Charlemagne AOC, yielding around 7 hl — essentially three barrels. The appellation is therefore almost nominal in commercial terms. Only Chardonnay is permitted. Soil, microclimate, and regulations mirror those of Corton-Charlemagne exactly — the wines are stylistically indistinguishable. The near-zero uptake reflects simple market logic: identical conditions, far lower brand recognition, no practical incentive to use the name.
Very few producers actually bottle under the Charlemagne AOC. Major owners on the hill — including Maison Louis Latour, Bonneau du Martray, and Hospices de Beaune — hold parcels that would qualify, but nearly all production is declared as Corton-Charlemagne. The "Charlemagne" name survives in the wine world mainly as the second half of *Corton-Charlemagne*, its symbolic anchor intact even as the standalone appellation fades from use.
Côte de Beaune・Blanc · 1947–2024 (5-point overall, newest on right)
| Yr | Score | Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ★★★★★ | Drink early | Cool, fresh whites. Mildew and poor fruit set cut yields 25%, but whites held up better than reds with crisp acidity. |
| 2023 | ★★★★★ | Drink early | Charming, accessible and delicious despite green-harvesting needed for heat stress. A delightful early-drinking vintage. |
| 2022 | ★★★★★ | Hold | Fresh and floral in youth with poised, stylish, concentrated palates — a recent white benchmark with long aging potential. |
| 2021 | ★★★★★ | Hold | Frost cut white crop by more than half, but survivors are fresh, classical and age-worthy — a cool, high-acid return. |
| 2020 | ★★★★★ | Hold | Fresh, classical whites. Some drought stress affected Chardonnay maturity, but overall balanced and built to age. |
| 2019 | ★★★★★ | Hold | Concentrated, ripe, rich whites with fresh acid balance. An excellent recent white vintage with strong aging potential. |
| 2018 | ★★★★★ | Hold | Outstanding whites showing depth and vivacity alongside focus and precision. Ripe yet fresh, with excellent aging potential. |
| 2017 | ★★★★★ | Drink now | A generous year, 21% larger than 2016. Attractive, accessible whites with pure fruit and balanced acidity for medium-term. |
| 2016 | ★★★★★ | Drink now | Severe frost reduced the crop drastically, but survivors produced charming, fresh-flavoured whites for medium-term drinking. |
| 2015 | ★★★★★ | Drink now | Ripe and generous, vividly fruity without excess. Excellent harmony of fruit and acidity, with good aging potential. |
| 2014 | ★★★★★ | At peak | A great white vintage with vibrant acidity and excellent aging potential. Beautifully balanced wines now in their drinking peak. |
| 2013 | ★★★★★ | Drink now | A cool, classical vintage. Careful producers crafted fresh, well-defined whites with bright acidity for medium-term drinking. |
| 2012 | ★★★★★ | Drink now | Hail decimated Chardonnay yields, but survivors produced whites of extraordinary depth and intensity with great balance. |
| 2011 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | Soft, approachable whites with modest aging potential. Pleasant freshness now, but best drunk sooner rather than later. |
| 2010 | ★★★★★ | At peak | A historic white vintage combining concentration, depth and structure. Now entering peak drinking after a long aging trajectory. |
| 2009 | ★★★★★ | At peak | Exotic whites with ripe fruit, fleshy textures and soft structures. |
| 2008 | ★★★★★ | At peak | Smaller crop yielded vibrant acidity balanced by ample flesh. |
| 2007 | ★★★★★ | At peak | Precise, pure and elegant with lively structure when harvested late. |
| 2006 | ★★★★★ | At peak | Pure, elegant whites with ample flesh; some show botrytis character. |
| 2005 | ★★★★★ | At peak | Concentrated, structured whites with juicy acidity and ripe fruit. |
| 2004 | ★★★★★ | At peak | Fresh, structured whites with mineral character; balanced and rich at best. |
| 2003 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | Charming, forward Chardonnays; rich and soft but most are now past peak. |
| 2002 | ★★★★★ | At peak | A historic vintage; full-bodied, ripe and rich with excellent fruit-acid balance. |
| 2001 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | Exotic, forward and elegant whites; ripe in Maconnais too. |
| 2000 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | Elegant whites stressing mineral terroir; some affected by premox. |
| 1999 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | Best wines fruity and pleasant; worst dilute from huge yields and rain. |
| 1998 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | Delicious, fruity and early-drinking whites. |
| 1997 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | Pleasant, supple whites; uneven in Cote d'Or. |
| 1996 | ★★★★★ | At peak | A historic vintage of balance and longevity; pure, well-defined flavours. |
| 1995 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | Rich, concentrated and generous whites; good ageing potential. |
| 1994 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | Soft, honeyed Chardonnays for early drinking; mostly past prime. |
| 1993 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | Austere, lean whites compromised by harvest rain. |
| 1992 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | A balanced vintage with great finesse and lovely fruit. |
| 1991 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | Fruity, charming whites for earlier drinking. |
| 1990 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | A historic white vintage of grace and minerality; some have peaked due to premox issues. |
| 1989 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | A ripe, seductive white vintage. |
| 1988 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | A warm September produced structured, age-worthy whites. |
| 1986 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | Whites fared better than reds; botrytis added concentration. |
| 1985 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | A historic vintage for whites too; elegance and concentration combined. |
| 1983 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | A balanced, concentrated vintage for whites that aged well. |
| 1982 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | A generous, soft vintage; most wines now past prime. |
| 1978 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | A late-harvest masterpiece; whites also showed remarkable longevity. |
| 1976 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | A hot vintage with low acidity; most wines are past their prime. |
| 1971 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | A classic vintage of concentration and high acidity. |
| 1969 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | A pinnacle white vintage of the 1960s, concentrated and age-worthy. |
| 1966 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | A balanced, elegant classical white vintage. |
| 1962 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | A classic, perfumed white vintage of finesse. |
| 1959 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | A landmark white vintage of the 1950s combining richness and elegance. |
| 1947 | ★★★★★ | Past peak | A legendary post-war vintage; whites combined concentration and longevity. |
Aggregated consensus from professional and trade assessments. Individual vineyards or producers may diverge.
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