Domaine Leroy   Corton Renardes

2006 Corton Renardes

By Domaine Leroy

2006 Corton Renardes from Domaine Leroy, Burgundy, France

In the pantheon of Burgundian excellence, few luminaries shine as brightly as the wines of Domaine Leroy. Amongst their constellation, the 2006 Corton Renardes is particularly stellar. This vintage tells a tale of a season's duel with the elements and the transcendent qualities that emerged in its grapes.

 

Precise Provenance: A Testament to Terroir

The Corton Renardes vineyard, cradled in the esteemed Côte de Beaune region, benefits from a confluence of rich clay, limestone soil, and an optimal slope that ensures both adequate drainage and exposure to sunlight. In 2006, Burgundy was tested by Mother Nature's caprices; a cool summer followed by an Indian summer that graced vineyards with excellent ripening conditions. The resulting harvest at Domaine Leroy offered lower yields but exceptional concentration – a convergence of adversity and expertise manifest in every bottle.

 

A Vintage Speaking Volumes

Upon sampling the 2006 Corton Renardes, one notes its strikingly deep ruby hue – indicative of its tenacity and nobility. The aromatic profile is resplendent with red fruits interlaced with earthy undertones of truffle and game – splendidly reflecting the biodynamic viticultural practices of Domaine Leroy. The palate, equally sumptuous and nuanced, presents a tapestry woven from tannins both ripe and refined. A crescendo of dark cherry, blackcurrant and subtle hints of spice leads to an enduring finish – monumental yet not without a certain suppleness that invites contemplation.

For fine wine investors seeking allocations outside the realm of mere beverage, this distinctive wine is not only a pleasure to savour but also promises an enhancement to any serious collection.

 

An Ode to Opulence and Investment Acumen

The 2006 Corton Renardes stands as a testament to the vintage's distinctive character and the virtuoso winemaking of Domaine Leroy. In integrating keywords like "2006 Corton Renardes" with essential wine investment terminology, this review does more than eulogize this exalted nectar; it provides an analytical ledger marking the ascent of this vintage's prowess in the ever-evolving marketplace.

With careful cellaring, collectors may find that the layered complexities of this wine will evolve further over time, solidifying its position as one of Burgundy's investable treasures.

Current market price

$77,350.00

12x75cl

Highest score

94

POP score

3319.29

Scores and tasting notes

94

Given the many extraordinary examples of Corton in this vintage, I was inevitably full of anticipation in approaching the Leroy 2006 Corton Renardes, and it did not disappoint. Ripe purple plum and quarry dust scent the nose. On the palate, the rich fruit here seems to oscillate in counterpoint with mineral nuances for a vibratory expression of vinous energy and complexity, and while the texture is velvet-like there is both a sense of primary juiciness and of lift that make for elegance, refreshment, and youthful accessibility one wouldn't ordinarily encounter in great Corton. The underlying structure is present for long aging, to be sure, but is almost undetectably woven into the wine's fabric. As this opened to the air, animal notes added to the intriguing mineral dimensions, and finish really took flight. The results achieved by Lalou Bize-Leroy in 2006 are all the more notable in view of the misgivings she expressed early on about this vintage. (And, as her reaction to 2004 demonstrates, she will not shy away from declassifying even her entire production if she feels that the wines are not up to their terroir pedigrees.) As voluptuously rich as are Bize-Leroy's 2006 reds, they preserve the sense of buoyancy and elegance common to so many of the standouts of this vintage, and one's gums will not come away fatigued by the strength of underlying tannin or the near-hyper-concentration displayed by her – to be sure awesome – 2005s. As every year, these wines represent meticulous vine manicure; miniscule yields ("above all regulated by severe pruning, not triage," Bize-Leroy emphasizes); and fidelity to biodynamic methods and metaphysics; and were bottled in the second December following the harvest. Despite their winsomeness, they have long life expectancies. Since, however, I have very little experience of their predecessors as they have matured, I have confined my prognostication to a few isolated and very general comments in the tasting notes that follow. Note that I have included as well under the heading "Leroy" the wines of Madame Bize-Leroy's Domaine d'Auvenay – its cellars located outside Saint-Romain – which now encompass two appellations in red, since inevitably when information is being sought about these wines, and even often when they are described, it is under the name "Leroy." Importer: Martine’s Wines. Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-040

David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate, 21 December 2009

Vintage performance