Corton Charlemagne, Domaine Bonneau du Martray 2014

A highly restrained nose features notes of cool and ultra-pure citrus, green apple, white flowers, herbal tea and wet stone. There is a distinctly racy mouth feel to the super intense and well-delineated medium weight plus flavors that are strikingly focused on the chiseled, clean, dry and moderately austere finale that delivers stunningly good complexity. I very much like this understated effort as it is an exercise in harmony and refinement and while there is the usual taut muscularity of a classic Corton-Charlemagne, it certainly doesn't lack for elegance either. In a word, sublime.

The 2014 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, which was still on the less when I tasted it at the domaine, has a crisp, fresh oyster shell-tinged bouquet that opens nicely with aeration. It is just a little austere, not that is detracts from its pleasure. The palate is fresh on the entry with a crisp line of acidity; perhaps a little more austere than other vintages, but that allows the terroir to show through. There is a lovely touch of lemongrass on the finish that prolongs length, completing a fine, quite saline, intriguing contribution to the vintage.