コルトン・シャルルマーニュ
コート・ド・ボーヌ地区の北端、コルトンの丘の上部に広がるコルトン・シャルルマーニュは、アロース・コルトン、ペルナン・ヴェルジュレス、ラドワ・セリニーの3村にまたがる白ワインの特級畑です。標高の高い急斜面に位置し、泥灰土を主体とした石灰岩土壌が、ワインに独特の力強さとミネラル感を与えます。主要な所有者には、それぞれ約9.5ヘクタールを擁するドメーヌ・ルイ・ラトゥールとドメーヌ・ボノー・デュ・マルトレイをはじめ、ブシャール・ペール・エ・フィスやルイ・ジャド、さらには2.91ヘクタールを所有するドメーヌ・ド・ラ・ロマネ・コンティなどが名を連ね、ブルゴーニュ屈指の威厳ある白ワインを産出しています。
Corton-Charlemagne occupies the upper reaches of the Corton hill, above the red grand cru parcels that cover the mid-slope. The vineyard carries Charlemagne's name because the emperor owned this land in the late eighth century — around 775 AD he donated it to the Abbey of Saint-Andoche in Saulieu.
A popular legend holds that Charlemagne's wife grew tired of red-wine stains on his beard, prompting him to plant white varieties on this part of the hill. The story is charming and improbable in equal measure, but it anchors a long association between the upper Corton slope and white-wine production. The AOC was established in 1937.
Corton-Charlemagne is a white grand cru covering approximately 52 ha, spread across three communes: Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses and Ladoix-Serrigny. The vineyard sits on the upper slope, where oolitic limestone and marl suit Chardonnay — lower on the hill, rising clay content marks the boundary of red Corton territory.
Only Chardonnay is permitted. Maximum yield is 40 hl/ha and minimum potential alcohol is 12%. Annual production averages roughly 300,000 bottles.
In style, Corton-Charlemagne is more linear and architecturally driven than Le Montrachet: a wine built on mineral tension and a direct structural frame, with citrus and white-flower aromatics in youth that evolve into hazelnut, honey and toasted bread after a decade or two of bottle age. The two vineyards together represent the poles of white Burgundy — Montrachet the richer, Corton-Charlemagne the more austere.
Domaine Bonneau du Martray holds the largest continuous block at 9.5 ha — the benchmark estate for this grand cru and, since its 2017 acquisition by Stan Kroenke, a domaine deepening its commitment to biodynamic viticulture.
Maison Louis Latour has worked the hill for generations and remains a historical anchor for the appellation.
Hospices de Beaune owns several parcels and sells Corton-Charlemagne each November under named cuvées, including *François de Salins*.
Maison Joseph Drouhin produces an elegant, balanced expression from a négociant parcel.
Domaine Coche-Dury, the cult Meursault estate, makes a minuscule Corton-Charlemagne — among the most sought-after white wines in the world.
Maison Louis Jadot is another significant owner, producing a reference-level wine from its négociant operations.
Other leading Côte de Beaune houses hold smaller parcels across the hill's three communes.
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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