Jean-Pierre Maldant Corton-Charlemagne 2022

Domaine Jean-Pierre Maldant's Corton-Charlemagne is the crown jewel of a fifth-generation family estate based right at the foot of the Corton hill itself — a domaine that quietly tended Hospices de Beaune vineyards for generations before Jean-Pierre committed fully to his own property in 1998. The domaine cultivates 33 ares within the grand cru, a small but precious holding from which Pierre-François Maldant, the fifth generation now overseeing vinification, crafts a wine that consistently impresses for its remarkable acidity, perfectly controlled by a round opulence in the mouth — a virulent richness, with the Chardonnay of the Corton-Charlemagne appellation surprising here by its concentration, its distinction and its balance.

Pale gold in its youth with green reflections, the wine takes on amber and more yellow shades with age. The bouquet expresses an infinite delicacy on buttery tones — baked apple, citrus, pineapple, lime, fern, juniper, cinnamon and flint, with honeyed notes frequently present. The palate is filled with remarkable acidity, perfectly controlled by a round opulence — rarely does the grace of the grape establish such a close link with the character of its terroir. This is a wine for noble and delicate dishes, rich and aromatic — foie gras, whose richness is framed by the minerality and power of Corton-Charlemagne, or noble crustaceans like lobster and crab, with a guarding potential of six to eight years. A grand cru of real distinction from a domaine whose attention to terroir is evident in every appellation it touches — and never more so than here, at the source.