Corton Clos des Cortons, Domaine Faiveley 2009

Good bright dark red. Perfumed, profound aromas and flavors of red cherry, rose oil, minerals and crushed stone, with darker berries emerging with air. Like liquid velvet on the palate--lush dense and incredibly fine-grained. Most impressive today on the extraordinary expanding, palate-staining finish, which rises to a crescendo of spices and minerals. A wine of great thrust and chewiness, this is hard to scrape off the palate. An essence of Corton grand cru.

Full red with ruby tones. Incredible high-pitched nose combines raspberry, pepper, rose petal, red licorice, crushed stone, flowers, menthol and eucalyptus. The palate offers extraordinary sweetness but the wine's minerally lift and intense sappiness gives it a weightless impression. Shows the noble side of Corton grand cru, not to mention uncanny intensity; Faiveley made 42 hectoliters per hectare in 2009, but the wine tastes like half that. Finishes with incredible length and verve; offhand, I can't think of a longer 2009. Should be a cellar treasure.