2013 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23 & 2020 Charles Noellat Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru
Starting off 2026 with two wines from areas that I really enjoy; Stag’s Leap and Corton Charlemagne.
Sadly not long ago I had tried another bottle of the 2013 Cask 23 and it was severely corked. So bad in fact, that I would say it was the highest amount of TCA contamination that I’ve ever encountered in nearly 50 years of wine consumption. It happens. Moving on. This bottle was nearly perfect from what is often considered “A Perfect Vintage”. There’s even a movie about it… The Cask 23 is assembled from the finest lots sourced from both the Fay and SLV Vineyards in the estate. For me, this is one of the benchmark wines from the AVA and consistently hits well above most other competitors. In the best years, it’s simply extraordinary. No detailed notes, but suffice it to say, I would choose this wine for any special occasion.
I must admit to being a fairly new fan of Burgundy, both white and red, but have acquired a real taste for the whites. The Cote de Beaune offers some of the most amazing expressions of Chardonnay I’ve tasted. I’m no expert on the more than 100 AOCs that exist within the region, but of the 33 designated as Grand Cru, Corton Charlemagne seems to be close to affordable. Of the folks with whom I shared this bottle, all felt this was one of the best Chardonnays they’ve experienced. I’m currently on the lookout for more wines from this outstanding Grand Cru.