Corton Grand Cru, Edouard Delaunay, 2019

Founded in 1893, the house of Delaunay became a prestigious and prolific estate and was one of the sole distributors of DRC and exclusively of La Romanée until the 1940s. Sold to Jean Claude Boisset in the 1990s, the maison was reborn in 2017 when winemaker and fifth generation, Laurent Delaunay, purchased back the name, and winery and cellars next to the family home Chateau de Chaumont. Laurent and wife Catherine have accessed some excellent vineyard sites across the Cote d’Or, including a gem in Petit-Vougeots, and right up to Griottes-Chambertin, recently presenting their 2017s in November to great acclaim. 2018 will be the first vintage to be offered en primeur from the self-proclaimed “most atypical of the fine wine houses of Burgundy” and Honest Grapes is delighted to be amongst a select handful of merchants to partner with the maison to do so.

90-93pts Jaspar Morris, Inside Burgundy

En Charlemagne. Destemmed. Two new barrels in three. Whether it is the new wood or not the sample shows a bit of oxidation. Too oaky for my taste but the central core of red fruit with darker cherry notes offers a framework which may deliver something more interesting when the wood dissipates. Tasted: October 2020

90pts Allen Meadows, Burghound Like several wines in the range, there is a slightly grapey quality to the ripe aromas of mostly red and dark berries that are nuanced by hints of the sauvage and warm earth. The round, supple and delicious if solidly precise medium bodied flavors contrast with the robust and muscular finish that is noticeably warm, indeed the warmth is enough to detract from the overall sense of balance. I suspect that this will be relatively early maturing in the context of what is typical for Corton, which is to say 6 to 8 years should probably be sufficient to see this at its best.