Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Corton-Charlemagne 2018

The Corton-Charlemagne is the only white wine Domaine Georges Roumier produces — and its existence in the portfolio is almost accidental in the best sense. The 0.2 hectare parcel on the commune of Pernand-Vergelesses was acquired by Jean-Marie Roumier in 1968, with the first production under the family's name coming in 1974. The westerly exposure of the vines delivers late-ripening fruit and a wine of exceptional character — upright, solid, and built for the long haul. Vinification reflects Christophe's broader philosophy of absolute non-intervention: hand harvested and sorted, fermented exclusively with indigenous yeasts, with no enzymes, then aged for one year in oak barrels two to five years old before transfer to stainless steel tank for a further five months prior to bottling. The result is a wine of extraordinary mineral precision — aged wood keeping the oak entirely in the background, letting the grand cru terroir do all the talking. 

An ultra-fresh nose of green apple, citrus and floral wisps leads to racy, intense and nicely voluminous flavours with solid mid-palate density and a focused, lingering mineral finish. The Corton-Charlemagne impresses above all with its mineral precision, its lively acidity and its long, almost endless finish. The vines have been of a respectable age since at least 1985, consistently producing wine of really top quality — though like all the wines at this domaine, time is required, a decade at least for the best wines in the best vintages. With only 0.2 hectares to work with, this is among the rarest wines from one of Burgundy's most coveted addresses — and one of the great arguments for what Corton-Charlemagne can achieve in the right hands.