Domaine Coche Dury   Corton Charlemagne

2006 Corton Charlemagne

By Domaine Coche-Dury

2006 Corton Charlemagne from Domaine Coche-Dury, Burgundy, France

The 2006 vintage in Burgundy will be chronicled as one of the most intriguing and perplexing vintages, teetering on the knife-edge of classical structure and modern opulence. In this vintage, Domaine Coche-Dury's pulchritudinous creation, the 2006 Corton Charlemagne, stands out with a dignified grace that defies the year's climatic caprice.

 

Investment-Worthy Elegance and Depth

Domaine Coche-Dury, famed for their immaculate attention to detail and an almost fanatical commitment to quality, has carved yet another exemplar of fine Burgundian craftsmanship with their 2006 Corton Charlemagne. The wine exhibits a measured poise that makes it both imminently appealing in its youth and a sterling candidate for long-term investment.

 

A Vintage Defined by Contrast

Challenged by a fierce summer that threatened over-ripeness and an eleventh-hour reprieve from September's cooler breezes, the 2006 Corton Charlemagne has emerged victorious. Evidencing the masterful handiwork of Domaine Coche-Dury, this profound embodiment melds vibrant acidity with layers of plush fruit, suggesting pears and citrus seamlessly balanced against an almost crystalline minerality. A subtle hint of oak matures into an intoxicating brioche note that signals a wine of true complexity and length.

A contemplation of the 2006 vintage reveals that not all wines have harnessed the year's contrasts with such finesse. However, this offering from Domaine Coche-Dury has navigated the climatic labyrinth with aplomb, rewarding investors with a wine that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the most illustrious bottles owning real provenance.

In sum, the 2006 Corton Charlemagne embodies a zenith for Domaine Coche-Dury that astute investors would be well-advised to note. With its capacity for graceful aging underscored by its immediate allure, it presents itself as an intelligent addition to any discerning portfolio, sure to resonate with fine wine aficionados attuned to Burgundy's prowess for producing liquid artistry.

Market price (USD)

$37,010.00

12x75cl

Highest score

93

POP score

2331.54

Scores and tasting notes

93

The 2006 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru offers up a ripe bouquet of peach, pastry cream, white flowers and sweet spices, revealing some musky top notes from botrytis on the upper register. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, lavishly textural and broad, with an open-knit core, ripe flavors and considerable substance, but it is missing the tension and cut of a great vintage. How will it evolve? The question is whether one should drink it now (which Coche conservatively advises), or gamble on it tightening up in the next few years, following in the footsteps of several recently tasted bottles of Coche's 2006 Meursault which seem to have become altogether more vibrant and exciting than they were a few years ago. In either case, this is a rich, gourmand Corton-Charlemagne from a vintage in which Coche performed a strict selection to limit the influence of the year's pervasive botrytis.

William Kelley - The Wine Advocate, 27 April 2018

Vintage performance