The 2005 Corton Les Chaumes (from 80- to 90-year-old vines just below the original Charlemagne vineyard) offers aromas of lightly baked cherry, raspberry, rose petal, and chalk dust. Exhibiting a relative delicacy, inner-mouth florality and overt minerality on the palate that bespeak its origins in soils also appropriate to white wine, this fascinating, beautifully-polished, finely-tannic, long-line wine also displays subtle suggestions of meat stock and noble fungus. Given its relatively slight frame and intense youthful perfume, one is tempted to recommend savoring it soon, but no doubt it will reward a decade or more of cellaring while continuing on its ravishing, refined path. Readers are referred to Pierre Rovani’s report in Issue 160 for details on the acquisition of this house in 2002 by Ann Colgin and a group of Americans, and on Becky Wasserman’s directorial role. At only around 4,500 cases, 2005 will represent their largest production yet, “and we’ll stay small,” says young, manifestly-talented winemaker David Croix. Croix works intensively in the vineyard with most of his suppliers. He ages the wines largely in newly-purchased but once-used barrels, augmented by a low percentage of new casks. I tasted all of the wines immediately prior to their first racking which was late, explains Croix (despite malo-lactic fermentations early by 2005 standards), because the quality of the fruit deserved the enrichment and protection of long lees contact and a slightly reduced state. They will be bottled without filtration in March or April. Various Importers. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet; fax 011- 333-80-24-29-70.

The 2005 Corton Les Chaumes (from 80- to 90-year-old vines just below the original Charlemagne vineyard) offers aromas of lightly baked cherry, raspberry, rose petal, and chalk dust. Exhibiting a relative delicacy, inner-mouth florality and overt minerality on the palate that bespeak its origins in soils also appropriate to white wine, this fascinating, beautifully-polished, finely-tannic, long-line wine also displays subtle suggestions of meat stock and noble fungus. Given its relatively slight frame and intense youthful perfume, one is tempted to recommend savoring it soon, but no doubt it will reward a decade or more of cellaring while continuing on its ravishing, refined path. Readers are referred to Pierre Rovani’s report in Issue 160 for details on the acquisition of this house in 2002 by Ann Colgin and a group of Americans, and on Becky Wasserman’s directorial role. At only around 4,500 cases, 2005 will represent their largest production yet, “and we’ll stay small,” says young, manifestly-talented winemaker David Croix. Croix works intensively in the vineyard with most of his suppliers. He ages the wines largely in newly-purchased but once-used barrels, augmented by a low percentage of new casks. I tasted all of the wines immediately prior to their first racking which was late, explains Croix (despite malo-lactic fermentations early by 2005 standards), because the quality of the fruit deserved the enrichment and protection of long lees contact and a slightly reduced state. They will be bottled without filtration in March or April.Various Importers. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet; fax 011- 333-80-24-29-70.