2021 Charlemagne Grand Cru La Vougeraie

Glowing pale yellow. A slight reduction, this time more on the fruit than the wood. A lively fruit with good acidity and exceptional tension at the back, lively citrus, minerals wherever you look, and a long clean balanced finish. More minerals than flesh in 2021.

The flinty reduction and copious baked pear notes immediately seduce with their exuberant aromatics. With a knowing twinkle in her eyes, Poillot gleefully gushed, "This is always expressive!" Layer after layer of orchard fruits, pastry and baking spice unfold on the palate framed by invigorating acidity. It is appealing now, but it will only become more enticing in a few years as it unleashes some of its secondary potential.

The 2021 Charlemagne Grand Cru comes from two parcels, the En Charlemagne lieu-dit picked a week after Le Charlemagne. This has one of my favourite noses from Vougeraie; it's quite refined and complex, more mineral-driven with hints of dried white flowers. The palate is well balanced with a tangy opening, fresh and crisp with a touch of bitter lemon and orange rind towards the finish. This should age well in bottle and conveys a sense of class.

From the only producer to use the AP Charlemagne label, this shows a lovely citrussy nose with hints of mineral and hawthorn flowers. The texture is compact but not heavy; there is abundant acidity to balance the impressive level of extract, and an immensely satisfying finish. It is produced from two parcels totalling 0.5ha. One faces south on the Aloxe side, and one faces west on the Pernand side. The combination is compelling and should not be overlooked.