Among the three Cortons, the 1994 Corton Clos du Roi is clearly the most backward and structured. While it exhibits a deep ruby color, and plenty of toasty oak in the nose, the wine is closed, moderately tannic, and in need of 1-2 years of cellaring. There are gobs of concentrated fruit, but it is all bound up in the wine's tannin. It will benefit from another 12-18 months of cellaring and should last for a decade. I have tasted many a pathetic 1994 red Burgundy that was shallow, thin, and harsh, but producers who kept their crop size reasonable, and did not excessively process the wines, had the potential to produce soft, delicious, seductive red Burgundies that will not make old bones, but can offer charming drinking over the next 5-6 years. Having made many visits to Domaine Chandon de Briailles, I was always disappointed that so much fining and filtration took place. Finally, Daniel Johnnes was able to convince this estate to bottle the 1994s with no filtration. And guess what? These are seductive, round, ample red Burgundies with plenty of up-front fruit. None of these offerings reveals any of the hardness or dilution that is one of the hallmarks of so many 1994 red Burgundies.
Jeroboam Wines, New York, NY; tel. (212) 374-9415; fax (212) 925-6474
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