Armand Heitz Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2020

Armand Heitz Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is a white Burgundy from the upper slopes of the most famous hill in the Côte de Beaune.

Corton-Charlemagne takes its name from Charlemagne, who held land on the hill in the eighth century and gave part of it to the church; the story that he had white grapes planted so spilt wine would not stain his beard is almost certainly embroidery, but the association is old and well documented. The grand cru occupies the higher band of the hill, where pale marl and limestone give whites of unusual structure and longevity, and it faces south, west and east in turn across Aloxe-Corton and Pernand-Vergelesses. Armand Heitz farms biodynamically from Chassagne-Montrachet, with mixed farming around the vines and a light touch in the cellar.

This is a wine to cellar for a decade; serve at around 12 to 13 degrees with lobster, veal or poultry in a rich sauce.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.

Type: White Wine
Style: Full-bodied, Powerful, Age-worthy
Grape Varietal: Chardonnay
Tastes Like: Comparable to a premium oaked Chardonnay, but firmer, saltier and far slower to open than a New World example
Alcohol Percentage: 13.5%
Closure: Cork
Size: 750mL
Appellation: Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru AOC
Region: Hill of Corton, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Terroir: Pale marl-rich bands on the upper slopes of the hill of Corton
Aging: Whole bunch pressed and raised in barrel with little intervention
Serving Temperature: 12℃ – Serve chilled

Armand Heitz took over his family’s vines in the 2010s, working from Chassagne-Montrachet and Pommard, and farms organically with a regenerative approach that brings livestock, trees and hedgerows back among the vines. Vinification is deliberately understated, with whole bunch pressing and little intervention.

Corton-Charlemagne is the great white grand cru of the Côte de Beaune, occupying the upper slopes of the hill of Corton across the communes of Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses and Ladoix-Serrigny. Chardonnay is planted on the paler, marl-rich bands high on the hill, where the soil is cooler and less suited to Pinot Noir. The name attaches to the emperor Charlemagne, who is said to have held land here. Wines from the cru are known for power and a long, slow development in bottle.

Seafood: Perfect with lobster, langoustine, turbot or scallops
Fish: Excellent with river fish in butter sauce, sole or brill
Poultry: Pairs beautifully with poularde in cream or roast veal
Truffle: Ideal with white truffle dishes or a truffled risotto

Comté Extra-Vieux: Long-aged and crystalline, matching the wine’s concentration
Brillat-Savarin: Triple cream and buttery, met by the wine’s acidity
Époisses: Pungent and rich, a Burgundian pairing for a Burgundian white
Mâconnais: A small goat cheese, chalky and bright against the wine’s weight

Sandre au Beurre Blanc (River Pike-Perch with Butter Sauce)

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 4 sandre or pike-perch fillets, around 180g each, skin on
• 3 French shallots, very finely chopped
• 150ml dry white Burgundy
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 250g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 tbsp thick cream
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• Salt and white pepper
• Steamed potatoes, to serve

Instructions:

1. Put the shallots, white wine and vinegar in a small heavy pan and reduce over a medium heat until only two tablespoons of liquid remain.
2. Stir in the cream, which will help hold the sauce together, and bring to a bare simmer.
3. Lower the heat to its minimum and whisk in the cold butter a few cubes at a time, never letting the sauce boil.
4. Once glossy and thick, season with salt and white pepper and keep barely warm off the heat.
5. Score the fish skin lightly and season both sides.
6. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and cook the fillets skin side down for 4 minutes, pressing gently, until the skin is crisp.
7. Turn and cook for a further minute only, so the flesh stays just translucent at the centre.
8. Spoon the beurre blanc onto warm plates, set the fish on top and serve with steamed potatoes.

Sandre is the fish of Burgundy’s rivers and a traditional partner to the region’s finest whites. A grand cru of this stature has the concentration and length to stand beside a proper beurre blanc, while its acidity and mineral drive keep an enormous quantity of butter feeling weightless.