1988 Domaine Capiitain Gagnerrot - Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru - 2 Bottles (0.75L)

CORTON-CHARLEMAGNE GRAND CRU CAPITAIN-GAGNEROT 1988

The Capitain-Gagnerot house is an estate located in Ladoix, north of the Côte de Beaune. The wines have improved in quality in recent years and are reaching a very good level. Corton-Charlemagne is one of the most qualitative plots in the production of great Chardonnays. This Grand Cru is reputed for producing ample and full-bodied Chardonnays.

This cuvée was aged between six and eight months in oak barrels from several wines, with only 10% of the barrels renewed each year.

The nose opens with beautiful scents of brioche and white flowers; we also perceive slightly honeyed notes. On the palate, it is a wine that reveals itself as ample, the fruit’s freshness awakening the palate in a very noble way. The opulence is not overly dominated by wood, which remains discreet and serves to underline the fruit, not dominate it. The finish is extended by a beautiful minerality that gives it length. A great wine that will pair very well with the noblest seafood.

It is in Ladoix-Serrigny, straddling the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits, that the Capitain-Gagnerot estate, founded at the beginning of the 19th century, in 1802, is located. Today managed by Pierre-François and Delphine, the estate covers 16 hectares of vineyards held “on property.” There, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay flourish within varied terroirs. Pinot Noir draws its nobility from soils of clay and limestone mixed with deep clay, and Chardonnay from soils composed of calcareous marls. These are cultivated with care, according to reasonable principles and some biodynamic-inspired practices. Indeed, natural treatments are preferred in order to obtain a healthy harvest, above all. Manual harvests precede precise winemaking. Pinot Noir thus ferments naturally (thanks to indigenous yeasts) in open-topped tanks. The resulting wine is aged for between one year and 18 months in oak barrels. Chardonnay, on the other hand, ferments in barrels under temperature control. The wine is aged for about 10 months. The level of new wood is carefully controlled for all wines (not exceeding 10 months) in order to let the fruit and the terroir express themselves.