The vine

• Plot /climat

  Charlemagne

• History

  It is said that Charlemagne gave in 775 a vast piece of vineyard on the Corton hill to the Canons of the Collegiate Church of Saulieu. The Corton-Charlemagne vineyards cover a total area of 34 hectares, spread across the communes of Pernand-Vergelesses, Aloxe-Corton, and Ladoix-Serrigny.

• Soil

  Complex soil, clay-silty, sometimes sandy. The soil is sometimes thin, revealing the limestone banks to the surface.

• Our plot(s)

  91a 8 ca, planted between 1940 and 2015, located around 280 and 330 meters in altitude. The slope is between 10% and 20%. Our plots, facing southwest, are located on the "En Charlemagne" lieu-dit in the commune of Pernand-Vergelesses.

• Age of vines

  • Planting date Surface
  • 1940 13a
  • 1960 11.16a
  • 1965 25.57a
  • 1971 3.44a
  • 1988 10a
  • 1994 1.84a
  • 2007 15.24a

The wine

• Description

  100% Chardonnay from handpicked grapes, produced in oak casks.

• Taste

  With a beautiful and bright pale yellow color, this wine offers noble and complex aromas of white fruits and honey, complemented by a lightly spicy oak. After a powerful attack, the mouth is dynamic, round, and silky. A few minutes after opening, the aromatic bouquet expands and develops to reach its fullness.

• Serving temperature

  12/14°C. Recent vintages may be decanted to enhance the aroma.

The vintage

• 2022: a year of relief for winemakers. The first buds came out earlier in March due to the mild weather, and thankfully the spring frost from April 9 and 10 did not cause any damage to the buds. Spring was hot and dry, making 2022 wines what we would call a premature vintage. By the end of June, the lack of rain started to be a concern. This was shortly followed by heavy rain showers, which despite some localised hail, generated just about enough water for the rest of the summer. The heatwave put the vines under strain but the drought was less damaging than in 2020, which allowed us to harvest grapes in perfect condition. Sunshine comes through this 2022 vintage, with expressive fruit flavours on the whites. We harvested the Chardonnay grapes early, from August 27, in order to preserve the freshness of the fruit. During tasting, the 2022 white vintage is prominent with elegance and delicate flavours in the mouth.