With the 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, Rapet has produced his finest white since 2014. The wine opens in the glass with a classy nose of ripe lemons, green apple, white flowers and crushed chalk, framed by subtle hints of oatmeal and beeswax. On the palate, it's full-bodied, deep and layered, with excellent concentration and broad shoulders, but also promising structural tension and reserve. The long, chalky finish is penetrating and intense. This is well worth seeking out.

The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru offers attractive, mineral-rich aromas of yellow flowers, honeysuckle and orange pith, gathering intensity with aeration. The taut, linear palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity and a delicate touch of spice toward the finish. It just misses the fatness, the gras -like element, that one seeks in Corton-Charlemagne, though it feels persistent.

Bottled. Ripe citrus all tied up with delicate oak spice and richness on the nose, as well as the stony overlay you’d expect from the appellation. Fine harmony and persistence without great intensity on the mid palate. Elegant rather than concentrated. (JH)