Maison Deux Montille 2005 Corton Charlemagne
How many times have you heard a pinhead say, "I don't really like Chardonnay?" When did Chardonnay and Merlot become the Octomoms of grapes? Neither one of them deserve the scorn heaped upon them. Gruner Veltliner and Pinotage, now they deserve plenty of scorn, a scornucopia of disparagement, but that's another story. I would defy Chardonnaysayers to turn their nose up to the 2005 Maison Deux Montille Corton Charlemagne, however. This is the stuff dreams are made of, and not the dry ones. How Charlemagne got his name appended to the appellation seems lost in conjecture, some saying he once owned the hill in Corton where the only Chardonnay in this Burgundy appellation is planted; others say his wife, Mrs. Charlemagne, preferred white wine to red because it didn't stain his beard as much. What kind of a slob was he? His wife used to call him Charlemangey. But, I was thinking, wouldn't it be interesting if the United States had named wine appellations for its leaders? So, for example, instead of Finger Lakes maybe we'd have the Finger Bush appellation. Just a thought. The Deux Montille Corton Charlemagne was simply gorgeous, gorgeous the way gorgeous is meant to be gorgeous--simple, understated, naturally gorgeous. The wine possessed a superb nose of hazelnut, ripe green apples, and lemons that developed and expanded significantly over the course of the meal, adding honeyed notes and minerality. What defined this wine was its elegance, a rather vague word, but you know it when it stains your beard. The rich apple and honey flavors come through in the flavor along with the bracing acidity in perfect balance. Long and pretty and complex, it was a fantastic bottle of maligned Chardonnay.The HoseMaster Score 866,905 Points
Disclaimer: I received this lovely bottle as a gift from a loyal HoseMaster reader. I think we can all learn from her example. And, like her gift, she's gorgeous too.
While I have not yet had the 2005 Corton Charlemagne from Deux Montille, (had other vintages) I think Alix is making some seriously amazing wines. She has been making the whites for Domaine de Montille for some time now and I think she has a brilliant hand with Chardonnay. Where I find her brother can be heavy handed with the oak, (in the Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet whites...but having just tasted the 07's, he is backing off as well) I find that Alix is able to use the wood in a way that perfectly frames her wines. I have to agree with you about the balance, her wines are full and have plenty of richness but she retains plenty of acidity...her wines are curvy and sexy but they have plenty of bite, how can you not love that?!
ReplyDeleteDamn man, you get good wines....I get Austrian samples!
My Gorgeous Samantha,
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm tasting a wine this lovely I don't even think about the oak. I know it's there, and I know it's important to the mix, but I'm focused on the pure beauty of the fruit so perfectly expressed. That's what I like, when the hand of the winemaker is completely concealed. So often in California, and other places too, the winemaker's hand is concealed, but it's concealed in your wallet.
OK, "curvy and sexy but with plenty of bite" is how I envision You. And how can I not love that, indeed.
I adore you
Concealed hands and wood....are we still talking about White Burgundy?
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