Collection: New Name, Same Brilliance: Bonneau du Martray

Corton-Charlemagne is one of those handful of truly great sites in France which has not, historically, performed at the level the terroir is capable of. Setting aside Coche-Dury for a moment, the one exception to this rule is Bonneau du Martray, whose sensational whites from the hill of Corton show its full potential. Long before the American takeover of the estate in 2017, the wines were already among the region’s finest. Now, they are yet more refined and pure.

The Bonneau du Martray style harnesses the richness and power of Corton-Charlemagne to a slightly reductive winemaking style. The result is concentration and sleekness, with great reserves of fruit and minerality. The latest development at the estate is the renaming of the flagship wine simply to Charlemagne, a nod to the names of the plots from which the fruit is sourced. The name Corton, meanwhile, is reserved for their also excellent Grand Cru red.

You can enjoy the Charlemagne at any age, but five to six years after the vintage allows the elements of this large-scaled wine to integrate and shine.