A rich and lusty wine, the 2018 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru offers up aromas of musky peach, ripe pear, white flowers and toasted nuts. Full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, it's a ripe, textural white that's already quite demonstrative.

The 2015 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru has an attractive bouquet with citrus lemon, Braeburn apples and nectarine aromas, hints of lanolin in the background. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity that counters the viscous texture, moderate length with a touch of spice on the finish.

The 2013 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru needed a bit of encouragement from the glass, eventually revealing melted wax, honeycomb and lemongrass scents. The palate is medium-bodied with good acidity but for me, this is missing some tension and delineation, the finish smudged by the hail damage during the growing season.

The 2012 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru comes from three sources, one biodynamic on the west slope, one on the south-facing slope and one undisclosed. It has a fresh, citrus-driven bouquet with aromas of grilled walnut and smoke. There is a pleasing “volume” to these aromatics. The palate is well balanced with a spicy opening, plenty of dried apricot and quince notes with a long, slightly waxy finish. Delicious! You may have heard of Pierre-Antoine Rovani. One of Burgundy’s most shy and retiring members, he was his usual taciturn self, uttering all but one or two words during my Sunday afternoon tasting of 2012s in Remoissenet’s 14th century cellars, just off the Beaune peripherique. You know the story here: the name reborn in 2005 when outside investors prompted a Damascene resurrection of what had fundamentally been an also-ran bottling operation, into a quality-driven concern and vinifying wines themselves. Their policy is to buy at premium in order to acquire the best fruit, except for the 2.5-hectare of vineyard that they own themselves. With general manager and former Louis Jadot president Bernard Repolt, winemaker Claudine Jobard and chef de culture Fred Le Prince (a wonderful name that sounds like a lost bassist from Funkadelic), this has been one of the region’s recent success stories. They recently purchased the cuverie at Chateau de Chorey to make the Bourgogne Rouge and Givry Village. They use “342s” as Pierre Antoine referred to them i.e. 342-litre barrels casks for vinifying most of their wines. They have a large portfolio of both domaine and negociant wines that I tasted at a leisurely pace on a Sunday afternoon. And I must say, I was impressed by their 2012s. Sure, not everything hits the spot with such a comprehensive and diverse array of wines, but the fact is that many crus showed very well. As Rovani mentioned, there is a gap in the market for affordable Burgundy, one that will surely expand as the top names become prohibitively expensive for mere mortals. That is where Remoissenet can fit in and having overhauled their reds, it sounds as if they will be working on ameliorating their whites in future years, not that they are anything to be ashamed of now. Hey, and you know what? Even Pierre-Antoine was beginning to lose his inhibition and comes out of his shell by the end of the tasting. Importers: Simon N Cellars, Charlottesville, VA; tel. (434) 977-4476, Bertin Henri Selections, Doral, FL; tel. (305) 392 6995, Cavatappi Distribuzione, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 292 5226, Dark Star Imports, New York, NY; tel. (646) 312 8921, Arborway Imports, Lexington, MA; tel. (781) 862-0515, United Wine and Spirits, Houston, TX; tel. (713) 696-9463, D.G.L. Distributors, Northbrook, IL; tel. (847) 291- 1110, The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 603-1460. Also available through Avery’s Wine Merchants in Bristol (UK).

Remoissenet’s 2010 Corton-Charlemagne is strikingly beautiful. It is at first quite understated, with intense floral notes that dominate its balance. With time in the glass the fruit begins to emerge. An exotic tapestry of ripe – at times tropical – fruit layers into hints of smoke, slate and crushed rocks as the Corton shows off its beautifully delineated, precise personality. Overall, this is a feminine style of Corton with terrific balance and inner harmony. The 100% new oak is very well integrated. Anticipated maturity: 2014+. I was very impressed with the 2010 whites I tasted at Remoissenet this year. While most of the top wines are terrific, personally I find just as much pleasure in the many delicious offerings from humbler appellations in this extensive range. Remoissenet purchases fruit and/or wines for many of their offerings. I would not be surprised if there is less competition for the fruit/wines from those less prestigious appellations, which makes it easier to source top quality raw materials. As always, Remoissenet strives for a style built on full phenolic ripeness and harvests that are on the late side relative to most estates. My favorite wines are those where the richness of the fruit is accompanied by complementary minerality and vibrancy. I also tasted a handful of reds from Remoissenet’s Cellar Collection. These are wines that have been cellared in Remoissenet’s cellars for several decades. Prior to being re-released, the wines are decanted to remove sediment, topped up and sealed with a new cork. Importers: Simon N Cellars, Charlottesville, VA; tel. (434) 977-4476, Bertin Henri Selections, Doral, FL; tel. (305) 392 6995, Cavatappi Distribuzione, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 292 5226, Dark Star Imports, New York, NY; tel. (646) 312 8921, Arborway Imports, Lexington, MA; tel. (781) 862-0515, United Wine and Spirits, Houston, TX; tel. (713) 696-9463, D.G.L. Distributors, Northbrook, IL; tel. (847) 291- 1110, The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 603-1460