2018 Domaine Bonneau du Martray, Corton Grand Cru, Bottle (750ml)

"Bursting with notes of blackberries, woodsmoke, spices and rich soil tones, the 2018 Corton Grand Cru from Bonneau du Martray is full-bodied, velvety and enveloping, with a rich and ample core of fruit that's lively and concentrated, built around powdery tannins and succulent acids. Long and expansive, this may be the domaine's best red wine to date. My visit with cellar master Emmanuel Hautus and estate director Armand de Maigret went very well, and I continue to be impressed by the direction they are taking here. As I mentioned last year, the new team has undertaken extensive replanting projects to improve the quality of Pinot Noir genetics in the domaine's red holdings; and while those young vines are not yet producing, their approach to red wine vinification seems promising already, as the 2018 Corton is the finest red I have ever tasted from Bonneau du Martray. On the white side of the ledger, parcel-by-parcel vinification gives Hautus and his team a broad palette of blending components to choose between, which is a rare luxury in Burgundy and one that they appear to be exploiting to the fullest. At the press, Hautus told me that he tries to be more adaptive to the year, with foulage and press cycles tailored to each crop, rather than proceeding by default." WK for TWA Jan 2020