2020 Remoissenet Pere & Fils Corton-Charlemagne

Remoissenet Pere et Fils was founded in Beaune in 1877 and was run as a negociant and producer for the last part of the 20th century by the venerable Roland Remoissenet. The 7.5-acre estate was sold after Remoissenet retired in 2005 to New York investors and a Canadian wine importer. Pierre-Antoine Rovani, once a writer for Wine Advocate, is employed by the New York investors, who installed Rovani as president of of the domaine. Maison Louis Jadot also has a minority financial interest in the estate. Bernard Repolt, the former president of Louis Jadot, is in charge of winemaking at Remoissenet. Vineyards have been added in recent years and the estate is now focused only on producing wines from grapes grown on estate vineyards, a departure from past years. Today the estate is known for Premier Cru red and white wines.

Corton-Charlemagne is a historic appellation for Grand Cru Chardonnay in the Cote de Beaune of Burgundy. The 129-acre vineyard falls within the boundaries of three communes, Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses and Ladoix-Serrigny. According to Burgundian historians, the vineyard is named for Charlemagne, the 8th century ruler who conquered most of western Europe. Charlemagne enjoyed the red wine of Corton, but as he grew older his wife disliked the red wine stains in his white beard, so Charlemagne had white grapes planted in Corton. Today only Chardonnay is allowed to be planted in Corton-Charlemagne, and it is one of Burgundy's most celebrated appellations for Grand Cru white wine. The largest land owners are Louis Latour, with 24 acres; Bonneau du Martray, with 23 acres; and Bouchard Pere et Fils, 9.5 acres.

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.