The 2009 Corton is impeccably refined from start to finish. Endless layers of red fruit, flowers, licorice and sweet spices caress the palate in this impeccable, breathtaking red. This is an absolutely gorgeous, striking wine endowed with extraordinary textural finesse and elegance. Sweet, perfumed notes caress the palate on the rich, resonant finish. In 2009, the Corton is pure finesse and class. Ideally, the 2009 is best left alone for at least a few years, but readers will need to be disciplined, as the wine is already delicious, even today.

The 2008 Corton is gracious and impeccable from start to finish. It is every bit as impressive as the 2009, even if radically different in style. The 2008 emphasizes the perfume of its fruit along with a sensual, beguiling personality. The gorgeous finish is layered with hard candy and liqueur-like notes that add sweetness and an air of sophistication. This is an exceptionally elegant wine from Bonneau de Martray. The harvest in 2008 began on the 30th of September, a full three weeks later than in 2009. Yields were also quite a bit lower than in 2009 because of the irregular flowering. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2033.

Jean-Charles Le Bault de Martray has established a singular track record for wine from a single large parcel in the heart of the original Charlemagne vineyards of Corton. His distinctive methods typically include separate fermentation of each vineyard block; a year in barrel with late summer malolactic; and a full six months on the fine lees in tank, in which state I tasted his 2006 Corton-Charlemagne. An architect by training, Le Bault de Martray values -brightness, precision and proportionality- and it is easy to see those virtues exemplified in this wine, characterized by clarity, subtlety, firmness of structure, and sheer refreshment unusual for the vintage. Scents of fresh lime, heliotrope and white peach usher in a subtly-creamy yet persistently bright and juicy display of continued citrus, peach, and inner-mouth floral notes. Airy and elegant, this finishes almost delicately but tenaciously. Le Bault de Martray cautions that his Corton-Charlemagne virtually uniformly -shuts down- for several years soon after bottling. I would recommend planning on revisiting this 2006 in 3-5 years and it should repay at least an additional decade's bottle maturation. The palpable extract and depth of sweet-saline, savor in the 2005 put it in a similar league and in line for a similarly long life.