Mission Codename Song #5 - The Unicorn Finale!
Red Mouches have taken flight too, for good, sorry…
Back to a white and GOING OUT WITH A BANG for the last Chanson today, Grand Cru Corton!
Savvy connoisseurs and those new to Burgundy alike, we hope today has been worth stopping all you’re doing and riding that checkout button.
The last 777 of the day, and a majestic one at that.
Burgundy expert Jamie Goode profiles this precious Domaine - owned by Champagne Bollinger - and its hotshot winemaker best: “Chanson was founded in 1750, and still occupies their original home, although they added a new gravity-fed winery in Savigny-lès-Beaune in 2010. They are a Bourgogne negociant doing things the right way. They were purchased by Bollinger in 1999. I visited with celebrated winemaker Jean-Pierre Confuron. ‘I don’t like the term negociant,’ he says because his view is that they behave like a Domaine… ‘My job is to respect the originality of each territory,’ says Confuron… I was impressed by these wines.”
This is our 5th and very last of Chanson Grand Crus & 1er Crus, whites & reds for today - that have been up all day long at big, discounts - back-to-back until they sold out. We didn’t crowd the site up with our own tasting notes that have scattered profanity or religious overtones that may be offensive for some readers, therefore better left to the ratings and reviews.
For the finale we have a total white UNICORN! For even experts the only white Corton of note is legendary Corton Charlemagne, and a few have experienced other coveted white Cortons. Vergennes is however almost never seen in the wild, as Chanson is the only producer with ownership of this plot once in the hands of nobility, besides the historic Hospices de Beaune charity.
Two facts: First, the Count of Vergennes, counselor to King Louis the 16th, was a signatory to the United States’ Treaty of Independence. Second, of the 16 cases imported we grabbed 7, drank a bottle, so that leaves us 83 bottles, please don’t wipe us clean so that we can drink another!
93 Points – Wine Spectator
“Lemon oil, sweet corn, apple and butterscotch flavors highlight this succulent white. It’s firmly structured, balanced in a steely way, and leaves a chalky feel on the long, mouthwatering finish. Best from 2022 through 2030. 16 cases imported.”
93 Points – Wine Enthusiast
“The shy nose on this wine remains closed even with swirling. The palate reveals a still tightly coiled body of creamy density, compressed lemon and Mirabelle bedded on a very textured, smooth midpalate. Something understated and statuesque here needs time to blossom. Drink 2025–2035.”
92 Points – Burghound
“Discreet but discernible wood influence surrounds the ripe aromas of white orchard fruit compote, anise and citrus confit. There is excellent volume to the opulent and exceptionally rich larger-scaled flavors that are not particularly refined, indeed they flirt with rusticity, though there is fine depth and length. This is a big but balanced Corton Blanc that should be reasonably approachable young.”
92 Points – Wine & Spirits
“This stony hillock, once owned by Charles Gravier, Count of Vergennes, is now split between Chanson and the Hospices de Beaune. The wine is reticent, as young Corton can be, smoky with oak spice, with a terse Granny-Smith-apple juiciness in the end. Several decades of tasting have led me to look for structural markers in Corton that would predict its likelihood of aging well. In a vintage like 2019, a summer of heat and water stress, all that’s clear is that the wine is not ready to drink. What course 2019’s may take in aging remains to be seen; this one seems an intriguing wine to follow.”
What the Winery Says
2018 Corton-Vergennes Blanc Grand Cru
- Winemaker
- Jean-Pierre Confuron
- Varietal
- 100% Chardonnay
- Vintage
- 2018
- Alcohol
- 14.5%
- Appellation
- Corton, Côte de Beaune, Côte d’Or, Burgundy, France
- Vineyard
- Corton Vergennes Grand Cru
- Soils
- Very stony and shallow clay-limestone
- Aging
- 12-14 months
- Barrels
- 100% Burgundian oak