Domaine Rapet Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

Clark and I like to say our souls are in Bourgogne France and more specifically at the Montrachet vineyard. Who doesn't love Montrachet? But over the years the price of Montrachet has become very prohibited. The truth is Montrachet is not the only Grand Cru White Burgundy available as Corton-Charlemagne is just a short drive north. We have found we love Corton-Charlemagne as much as Montrachet and the price difference is huge. We usually purchase Corton-Charlemagne under $150 a bottle compared to Montrachets that are now running $1000 to $6000 a bottle. It is not even close. We have visited Domaine Rapet and met both the patriarch and his son, both of whom are members of Tastevin and they make outstanding wines from the hill of Corton and we highly recommend them. 

With the 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Rapet has produced his finest white since 2014. The wine opens in the glass with a classy nose of ripe lemons, green apple, white flowers and crushed chalk, framed by subtle hints of oatmeal and beeswax. On the palate, it's full-bodied, deep and layered, with excellent concentration and broad shoulders, but also promising structural tension and reserve. The long, chalky finish is penetrating and intense. This is well worth seeking out.  You can purchase it here for $125.00 a bottle and for a Grand Cru White Burgundy you simply cannot beat that price at that quality.  https://www.finewinesinternational.com/wines/2017-domaine-rapet-pere-et-fils-corton-charlemagne-grand-cru-cote-de-beaune-france-750ml

"The Rapet family can trace its roots in Pernand back to 1795, and they are both one of the largest landholders in Corton-Charlemagne, as well as one of its finest exponents, so it is a mystery why these wines aren't better known and better distributed. There's a long track record here, and I can extol the merits of the domaine's older wines from personal experience: 1979 is among the best mature examples of Corton-Charlemagne I've tasted. Under Vincent Rapet's attentive eye, the vinification is pretty classic, with the whites, the whole cluster pressed and fermented in barrels (some 20% of which are new), as well as a few concrete eggs for some cuvées that Rapet believes gives a more tensile, fresher profile to the wine. The reds, which have improved in recent years, see a brief cold soak followed by some 15 days of maceration, maturing in around 30% new wood from carefully chosen sources including Chassin and Taransaud. In addition to the flagship white grand cru, there are plenty of wines for insiders here, above all the old vine Pernand Sous Frétille. In summation, this is a fine source that deserves more attention, especially in view of its very reasonable prices." William Kelley Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 95 Points