In Burgundy, there are three villages, Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix-Serrigny and Pernand-Vergelesses, where the Montagne de Corton hill, located at the northern tip of the Côte de Beaune, unfolds its gently sloping vineyards. At the heart of this vast natural amphitheatre, two great wines, Corton red and Corton-Charlemagne white, share exceptional growing conditions.
The Montagne de Corton hill
Alongside the Route des Grands Crus, the Montagne de Corton hill is a symbolic site of the Côte de Beaune. On these rounded slopes, over 150 hectares of vineyards are divided into a myriad of appellations, including two Grands Crus. Corton red and Corton Charlemagne white occupy the slope at mid-level, leaving the edge for the little wood of fir trees that wreathe the mountain. This very old vineyard is named after two emperors, Curtis d’Othon and Charlemagne. Legend has it that the Carolingian emperor had Chardonnay vines planted in order not to stain his beard.
Top Burgundy Wines - Corton
Burgundy is never as magical as when it brings together, side by side, on the same hill, two grands crus, Corton and Corton-Charlemagne, that express the best of their soils in two different grape varieties.
Corton occupies most of the mountain with 90 hectares, and is the only red grand cru of the Côte de Beaune, but you can still find a white Corton, which is quite a rarity. Over such a large area, Corton has a whole range of expressions. However, "The King of the Bons Viveurs", as Camille Rodier, the owner of Clos de Vougeot, called it, is first and foremost a powerful and opulent wine. A velvet robe fills the glass with a bouquet of red fruits, of violets evolving towards notes of undergrowth, animal, pepper. This athletic wine works wonders with a piece of braised beef, game in sauce, or intense cheeses.
Top Burgundy Wines - Corton Charlemagne
Corton-Charlemagne also goes well with top-class dishes: foie gras and the delicate flesh of lobster or crab go wonderfully well with this champion wine. On tasting, Corton-Charlemagne colour is of pale gold tending towards amber with age, and as for the nose, it seduces with the delicacy of its butter notes, baked apple and flint. Corton-Charlemagne, with its undeniable aromatic power, is in it for the long term and, like Corton, it can age 25 to 30 years in cellars.
Burgundy Vineyard Hike - UNESCO - the Montagne de Corton hill
The Burgundy Vineyard Hike (Bourgogne Rando Vignes) is a new application that takes you on a guided walk along the hiking trails through the the Montagne de Corton hill. No need to find the route on a map or look everywhere for points of interest – the application looks after all that by triggering an audio commentary. Knowing what Burgundy’s famous “Climats” are, why the winemakers build “cabottes” (vineyard huts), and what “meurgers” are for (stone walls) ... it's the French voice of George Clooney that will tell you about it all along the 6 km walk. Bourgogne Rando Vignes is available free on App Store and Google Play.
