Corton-Charlemagne is the great white grand cru of the Côte de Beaune — a limestone amphitheatre wrapping the Corton hill, high enough and cool enough to hold acidity even in warm years. The name is Charlemagne’s: legend has it his wife pressed him to plant white here so the red would stop staining his beard.

The grand cru is divided among a great many owners, and holdings are often measured in fractions of a hectare. A bottling from a small family domaine like Noblet-Gauthier is made in tiny quantity and rarely travels far.

2023 was abundant and warm in Burgundy, with picking dates that mattered enormously for the whites — those who came in early kept their acidity.

Citrus zest and white flowers over hazelnut and a flinty edge; taut and structured on the palate, with saline depth and a long mineral finish. Open from 2027.