(BH90-93 points) An elegant, pure and wonderfully broad-ranging nose offers up notes of green apple, white flowers, wet stone, anise and nut oil nuances. There is outstanding size, weight and intensity to the powerful and solidly constituted flavors that exude a distinct saline character onto the impressively persistent finish. This is a muscular but balanced Charlemagne that should reward up to a decade of cellaring.

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2012 tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru from Domaine de la Vougeraie has a forward, expressive nose with more mineralité compared to Remi Rolland and David Croix’s offerings, a priori, more complexity with touches of yellow flower developing in the glass. The palate is sharp on the entry with vibrant citric acidity, but there is the fruit to back it up. Primal and maybe a little disjointed, nevertheless there is substance here, armed with a sustained ginger-tinged finish. With another three or four years in bottle it should turn into a fine Corton-Charlemagne. I'm keeping the faith (as they say). - Neal Martin