This is my fifth bottle of 2005 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru from Coche-Dury, one of the greatest whites that the Domaine has ever made. It has hardly moved since I last tasted it: stunning aromatics that are so flinty, so mineral-driven, so penetrating that it almost hurts. Don't worry...you get used to it. Hints of crustacea and blood orange emerge with aeration. You can hardly believe it is 20 years old. The palate is cut from a similar cloth, with such incredible energy and tension that it could power a small city. Maybe this bottle does not have the peacock's tail of others, yet it is a formidable, life-affirming, almost ineffable wine that is utterly awe-inspiring. Tasted at Jordi's 50th birthday at "Nando's." -- Neal Martin

The 2005 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru was difficult to evaluate and appears to be entering a transitional state between youth and maturity. On the nose, appealing aromas of preserved citrus, chamomile and toasted sesame mingle with notes of brioche, nutmeg and struck match. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and concentrated, with chewy extract and considerable depth, but it is seemingly missing some of the energy and tension that I have previously found in this domaine's 2005s. While aging contemporary white Burgundy is admittedly the preserve of optimists, I'd be inclined to forget this for a few years and hope that its glories reemerge, because when this Corton-Charlemagne is showing all its cards, it's close to perfection. - William Kelley