Corton-Charlemagne 2018 - Maison en belles lies (Pierre Fenals, magnum)

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2018 — Maison en Belles Lies

This Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2018 from Maison en Belles Lies, signed by Pierre Fenals and offered here in magnum 1.5 L, embodies a rare, broad and profoundly mineral expression of one of Burgundy’s greatest white wine terroirs. An emblematic Grand Cru of the Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne gives Chardonnay of great stature, combining contained power, limestone tension, noble texture and very long persistence: ripe lemon, citrus zest, fresh pear, yellow apple, white peach, white flowers, fresh almond, hazelnut, fine butter, warm stone, chalk, light smoke and a long saline finish.

Maison en Belles Lies, led by Pierre Fenals, is recognised for an artisanal, sensitive and living-soil approach, producing wines with strong identity, marked by fruit purity, terroir sincerity and an often vibrant expression. Corton-Charlemagne represents here a prestige cuvée, where the natural density of the Grand Cru meets the richness of the 2018 vintage. The magnum format encourages slower evolution, better preservation of freshness and a particularly sought-after collector dimension.

Terroir: Corton-Charlemagne, limestone grandeur and Chardonnay depth

The Corton-Charlemagne climat is among the greatest Chardonnay terroirs in the world. Located on the hill of Corton, it rests on limestone, marly and stony soils that give the wines imposing structure, remarkable tension and persistent minerality. The cru is distinguished by its ability to combine breadth, noble austerity, saline energy and very great longevity.

At Maison en Belles Lies, Corton-Charlemagne translates into a wine of character, where substance remains balanced by freshness and the limestone frame of the Grand Cru. In 2018, vintage ripeness reinforces volume, fruit and texture, while the mineral identity of the terroir preserves tension, precision and length. The result is a broad, lively and profoundly Burgundian white wine.

Tasting notes

Appearance: pale gold with brilliant reflections, slowly evolving towards deeper gold, luminous, dense and still youthful. In magnum, evolution is generally slower, allowing the wine to preserve brilliance, visual freshness and depth for many years.

Nose: pure, ripe and highly expressive, with ripe lemon, citrus zest, fresh pear, yellow apple, white peach, white flowers, fresh almond, hazelnut, fine butter and warm stone. With aeration and evolution, nuances of fine honey, sweet spices, chalk, oyster shell, light smoke, discreet vanilla, white truffle and iodised notes may appear.

Palate: broad, satiny, fresh and perfectly structured, with dense substance carried by clear mineral tension. Flavours of ripe lemon, pear, yellow apple, white peach, almond, hazelnut, fine butter, warm stone and sweet spices unfold with depth, supported by a firm and saline limestone frame. The finish is very long, chalky, lightly iodised and persistent, with an impression of controlled power, purity and great Burgundian precision.

Expression of the 2018 vintage

The 2018 vintage in Burgundy produced white wines that are ripe, expressive and generous, marked by fine fruit richness and broad textures. In great limestone terroirs such as Corton-Charlemagne, this ripeness can be balanced by the mineral tension of the cru, giving wines that are deep, powerful and capable of gaining complexity with time.

Today, this Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2018 in magnum remains young but can already impress through its substance, aromatic brilliance and balance after measured aeration. With time, it will gain hazelnut, fine honey, white truffle, noble butter, melted spices, light smoke, warm stone and iodised nuances, while preserving mineral freshness and the depth of Chardonnay.