READ · COMPARE · EXPLAIN
Bonneau du Martray: From slope sections to bottling
This is a Burgundy domaine with vineyards on the Hill of Corton. They have long produced Corton-Charlemagne from Chardonnay and Corton from Pinot Noir. Here, we examine the white plots and the processes up to bottling the base wine.
We trace the process by which base wines from individual plots are blended and aged to become a single white wine.
Questions for this course
Even if each plot is vinified separately, does that necessarily mean they are bottled separately to the end?
Before you start reading, briefly jot down your thoughts. You will rephrase them at the end.
To applied practice using the material ↓
To explanation task notes ↓Bonneau du Martray / Learn from Producers
France / Burgundy / Corton Hill
Aliases/Labels: Bonneau du Martray / ボノー・デュ・マルトレ
Updated: 2026-10-06
Upper, middle, and lower slopes
The Corton-Charlemagne vineyard is on a west-facing slope, with different soil conditions at the top, middle, and bottom. Even under the same grand cru name, distinguishing the precise location where the grapes are grown is the starting point.
From barrel to blend
The base wine is fermented in new and used French barrels. After the first racking, the wines are blended and spend a second winter on fine lees. Separating plots and bottling the final product by plot are different decisions.
Tank before bottling.
After the second racking, the wine is left in tank for about two months before bottling, to unify the overall blend. Even in barrel-aged wines, not all processes are completed in barrel. You can track which vessel is used at each stage of production.
What to align and what to compare.
Geography
- Conditions to standardize
- Corton-Charlemagne
- Conditions for comparison.
- Upper, middle, and lower slopes
- Additional points to confirm
- Soils by plot
Base wine
- Conditions to standardize
- Winemaking process for the same white wine
- Conditions for comparison.
- From plot-specific vinification to blends
- Additional points to confirm
- Timing of blending
Vessel
- Conditions to standardize
- Steps before bottling.
- Conditions for comparison.
- From barrel to tank
- Additional points to confirm
- Time spent in each vessel
Order of reading and key points to consider in each article
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READ · HYPOTHESIZE · RECONSIDER
Reading Bonneau du Martray documents: From slope sections to bottling
Check and compare the region, raw materials, and process from the materials, and explain what can be learned from the comparison.
Comparative tables are based on the source’s target year and the explanation at the time of verification. Descriptions without year specifications are not treated as specifications common to all harvest years or shipped portions.
| Comparison items | Process | Content to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Vineyard location | Upper, middle, and lower slope sections | There are differences in vineyard plots even within the same appellation |
| After the first racking | Blend the base wines | Vinifying by plot is not the same as bottling by plot |
| Before bottling. | About 2 months in tank | Not the entire period is counted as barrel aging |
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Read the explanation for each question
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What is distinguished in vineyard descriptions?
The Corton-Charlemagne vineyard is on a west-facing slope, with different soil conditions at the top, middle, and bottom. Even under the same grand cru name, distinguishing the precise location where the grapes are grown is the starting point.
When does blending take place?
The base wine is fermented in new and used French barrels. After the first racking, the wines are blended and spend a second winter on fine lees. Separating plots and bottling the final product by plot are different decisions.
What about the approximately two months before bottling?
After the second racking, the wine is left in tank for about two months before bottling, to unify the overall blend. Even in barrel-aged wines, not all processes are completed in barrel. You can track which vessel is used at each stage of production.
Basis and sources for the exercise
Practice exercises in comparison
Check and compare the region, raw materials, and process from the materials, and explain what can be learned from the comparison.
Read examples of organizing comparisons
| Conditions for Comparison | Process | Content to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Vineyard location | Upper, middle, and lower slope sections | There are differences in vineyard plots even within the same appellation |
| After the first racking | Blend the base wines | Vinifying by plot is not the same as bottling by plot |
| Before bottling. | About 2 months in tank | Not the entire period is counted as barrel aging |
Sources of materials used for comparison are listed in the text and exercises.
Explain in your own words
Please explain the steps of plots, blending, and tanks before bottling, in order for Corton-Charlemagne.
Check after writing
- Retain differences between sites within the same appellation.
- Distinguish between base wines and finished wines by plot.
- Separate the tank process from barrel aging.
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