Reviews & Scores
While there is noticeable reduction, it does not materially impede the amazing nose that explodes from the glass with spice, intense minerality and green apple scents. The '99 is a huge wine with muscular flavors of remarkable power that are underpinned by marvelous cut and an overtly austere finish of such length that I almost couldn't believe it. The balance here is perfect and this is without question one of the finest examples of Corton-Charlemagne that I have ever tasted. - BH
BH97
This pairing of 1999s is one of the highlights of the evening. The 1999 Corton-Charlemagne is initially quite reduced. Over the years I have learned that the Coche Charlemagne needs a lot of air. That is certainly the case on this night. The flavors are intense, brilliant and beautifully focused, especially as the wine starts to open up. White flowers, candied lemon, white pepper and pulsating saline notes meld into the austere, tightly wound finish. I imagine the 1999 will be a magical wine for many years to come. If opened young, it requires considerable aeration. - VM
VM97
The 1999 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is a spectacular white Burgundy that numbers among the greatest recent vintages of this legendary wine, wafting from the glass with notes of preserved citrus, toasted sesame, buttered popcorn and gingerbread, showing more and more complexity as it unwinds in the glass. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with wonderful tension at the core, its glossy texture underpinned by a bright line of acidity that carries through the penetrating, searingly intense and unremitting finish. This Corton-Charlemagne’s sheer length marks it out as one of the high points of this tasting. Jean-François Coche observes that the 1999 vintage was tight-knit and rather unyielding in its youth but that he always had confidence in its extraordinary potential. - WA
WA100