Home › Wine Notes › Moillard (Thomas-Moillard, Nuits-Saint-Georges)
Moillard, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 1997
WhiteFrance1997
By Daniel Min · Tasted 2019-12-19 · Published 2026-09-15 · Updated 2026-09-15
At a glance
In one line
4.5/5 — higher than Vivino's 4.1 average · world avg price US$100 · The Corton hill got the name "Charlemagne" from a legend: the emperor's wife hated red wine staining his white beard.
No critic reviews on record
Market note: This vintage has only 12 Vivino ratings, too few for an official average (BelowThreshold). Producer's description: "Pale golden color which changes shade over time. The nose has a great aromatic complexity that gains strength with aeration: candied orange, hawthorn, hazelnut, hot brioche... These greedy and generous flavors on the palate, alongside a nice acid characteristic of the vintage frame, provide great length in the mouth and a good ageing potential."
Father's note — Daniel Min
Original author of the notes“Cork is half stained. But I just feel deep deep vanilla. … It was completely butter like mayonnaise. I'm sure it will become oak flavor.”
Show original
“Cork is half stained. But I just feel deep deep vanilla. […] It was completely butter like mayonnaise. I'm sure it will become oak flavor.”
What I learned today: even when the cork is stained, you have to smell the glass all the way through before you know.
Today at Bar Suda I was poured Moillard Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 1997. A deep gold pooled at the bottom of the glass. One breath, and a whole night came back: winter when I was twenty-one, three days before the solstice, the kitchen table. Deep, deep vanilla, melted butter, toasted hazelnut, orange peel, a drop of honey. In the mouth, a texture that coats as smoothly as mayonnaise. Every aroma is clear; what I don't know is which bottle Father poured that night with the label covered. That night, besides the glass with endless rising bubbles, there was another glass, gold and still. What I remember is that Father stood the half-stained cork upright on the table and looked at it for a long while.
Master Seo told me what the aromas say: this bottle has only 12 ratings, so its aroma story is small too. The orchard and stone fruit of apple, apricot, peach and pear (5 mentions) sits level with citrus (4) and oak, butter and coffee (4), and vanilla comes from oak ageing. Then the story. In the late 8th century the Corton hill belonged to Charlemagne. Legend says his fourth wife, Luitgard, disliked the red wine stains on her husband's white beard, and had part of the hill replanted with white grapes. All that can be confirmed is that the name 'Clos de Charlemagne' first appears in a document from 1375.
Father wrote: "Cork is half stained. But I just feel deep deep vanilla." Probably he worried for a moment at the stained cork, then put his nose to the glass and relaxed.
What I learned today: even when the cork is stained, you have to smell the glass all the way through before you know.
What this wine is
The legend of the Corton hill begins with Charlemagne. In the late 8th century this Holy Roman Emperor owned the Corton vineyards and is said to have donated most of them to the Abbey of St. Andoche. The trouble was his taste for red wine. As the story goes, his fourth wife, Luitgard, was displeased that red wine kept staining his white beard, so she had one section of the hill pulled up and replanted with white grape varieties — the section known today as Corton-Charlemagne (this is legend; the one confirmed fact is that the name "Clos de Charlemagne" first appears in a document from 1375).
The house behind this bottle, Moillard, is a négociant not far from that same hill, in Nuits-Saint-Georges. Symphorien Moillard started the business in 1848 when he married Marguerite Grivot, and it really took off after 1850, when a chance meeting with a Belgian notary opened up export routes to Belgium. In 1870 his daughter Jeanne inherited the firm and, through her marriage to Maurice Thomas, it became Thomas-Moillard; Charles Thomas ran it for seventy years, buying up most of its vineyard holdings along the way. But in the 2000s, inheritance disputes within the Thomas-Moillard family led a majority of shareholders to want out, and Vincent Sauvestre — owner of the Meursault négociant Jean-Baptiste Béjot — ended up acquiring Moillard. A hundred and fifty years of family ownership came to an end.
1997 is generally considered a solid year for white Burgundy. Alcohol is 13.6%, 100% Chardonnay. Twenty-two years on, this bottle also illustrates one of white Burgundy's long-running problems: "premox," premature oxidation, especially notorious in vintages from the late 1990s through the early 2000s. Cork defects, overripe fruit from warming vintages, excessive lees-stirring (bâtonnage) and insufficient sulfur have all been blamed, and the industry has since tightened cork quality control and pulled back on bâtonnage.
What the world says
This 1997 vintage carries no listed critic score on Vivino. Community ratings haven't cleared Vivino's sample threshold either — just 12 of them, so no official average shows (BelowThreshold) — but doing the math gives 4.1 (one 3-star, nine 4-star, two 5-star), with 92% at four stars or above. Across the whole label, 90 ratings average 3.9.
The reviews hover somewhere between oxidation and graceful age. A March 2018 review: "Cork was stained with fungi, color was golden yellow, looks so old. But acidity still strong! Even it has been 21 years matured" (4.0 stars). A September 2021 review: "31 year old wine. A bit oxidized, bitter citrus peel on the finish" (3.5 stars — the '31 years' doesn't match the vintage math, but I've kept the review as written). An August 2019 review lists apricot, apple, peach, pear, citrus, yeast, earthy, high minerality, honey, marmalade and calls it "elegant, dignifying, so great old vintage wine" (4.0 stars). A December 2017 review: "Smells of sea at beginning. Nice mineral and acidity. Tight mouthfeel. Bottle condition was so good" (4.0 stars).
"31 year old wine. A bit oxidized, bitter citrus peel on the finish." — Vivino review, Sep 2021, 3.5 stars
Vivino's flavor keywords lead with apple, apricot, peach and pear (5 mentions), alongside citrus (4) and oak (4: oak, butter, coffee), with earthy, honey and minerals (3) close behind. Structure: acidity 3.4/5, intensity 4.0 — consistent with reviews noting the acid is still very much alive at 22 years.
How I drank it
19 December 2019, 4.5 stars. "Cork is half stained. But I just feel deep deep vanilla. And my company said I wanna eat with a hamburger. It was completely butter like mayonnaise. I'm sure it will become oak flavor."
That night I opened this Moillard Corton-Charlemagne 1997 alongside Krug Grande Cuvée (5.0) and Tenuta Luce 2012 (3.5). A 22-year-old white Burgundy to start, a non-vintage Champagne in the middle, a Tuscan red to close — the Corton-Charlemagne came in second of the three, behind the Krug.
My companion's "like butter" read matches Vivino's oak/butter keywords exactly, and the vanilla I noted is itself an oak-ageing signature — a sign that, at 22 years, this bottle still read as fresh rather than tired. Against the label's overall average of 3.9 and this vintage's unofficial 4.1, my 4.5 sits above both.
Where this wine shows up
Charlemagne is said to have owned the Corton hill and donated most of it to the Abbey of St. Andoche. Legend holds that his fourth wife, Luitgard, disliked red wine staining her husband's white beard, so she had one section of the hill replanted with white grape varieties — the section known today as Corton-Charlemagne (this is legend; the one confirmed fact is that the name "Clos de Charlemagne" first appears in a document from 1375).
Wikipedia — Corton-Charlemagne · Vinfolio — Exploring Corton-Charlemagne, Charlemagne and Corton Blanc
Artwork and stills are not reproduced for copyright reasons; scenes are summarised.
Vivino community data
1997 vintage rating distribution (12 ratings, average 4.1)
| 5★ | 2 (17%) | |
| 4★ | 9 (75%) | |
| 3★ | 1 (8%) | |
| 2★ | 0 (0%) | |
| 1★ | 0 (0%) |
Most-mentioned aromas
| Family | Mentions | Top keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Stone fruit & apple | 5 | apple 2 · apricot 1 · peach 1 · pear 1 |
| Citrus | 4 | citrus 2 · marmalade 1 · orange 1 |
| Oak | 4 | oak 2 · butter 1 · coffee 1 |
| Earth & mineral | 3 | earthy 1 · honey 1 · minerals 1 |
| Bread & nuts (non-oak) | 2 | hazelnut 1 · nutty 1 |
| Yeast & cream | 1 | yeast 1 |
Structure: Acidity 3.4/5 · Intensity 4.0/5 · Sweetness 1.3/5
Average by vintage (all vintages: 90 ratings, average 3.9)
| Vintage | Average | Ratings |
|---|
Other wines Father scored 4.5 →
Read next
Swipe for more →
Tasted the same dayKrug, Grande Cuvée (NV)
France · Champagne★★★★★
Tasted the same dayTenuta Luce, Luce 2012 (Toscana)
Italy · Tuscany★★★½☆
Same producerDomaine Saint-Damien, Gigondas Vieilles Vignes 'La Louisiane' 2014
France · Rhône★★★½☆
Same producerGeorges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2019
France · Burgundy★★★☆☆
Similar styleDomaine Leroy Bourgogne Aligoté 2014
France · Burgundy★★★★☆
Similar styleChâteau La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc 2018
France · Bordeaux★★★★☆
Similar styleLucien Le Moine Meursault-Charmes Premier Cru 2018
France · Burgundy★★★★☆
Similar styleMaison Leroy Saint-Aubin Premier Cru Le Charmois Blanc 2002
France · Burgundy★★★★★
Same grapeEtienne Sauzet, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru 2012
France · Burgundy★★★★½
Same grapeEtienne Sauzet, Montrachet Grand Cru 2012
France · Burgundy★★★★★
Same grapeDomaine Laroche, Chablis Saint Martin 2018
France · Burgundy★★★½☆
Same grapeAntinori, Castello della Sala 'Cervaro della Sala' 2016
Italy★★★★½More from Burgundy, France
Swipe for more →
BurgundyDomaine Leroy Bourgogne Aligoté 2014
★★★★☆BurgundyLucien Le Moine Meursault-Charmes Premier Cru 2018
★★★★☆BurgundyMaison Leroy Saint-Aubin Premier Cru Le Charmois Blanc 2002
★★★★★
BurgundyBenoît Ente Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos de la Truffière 2018
★★★½☆
BurgundyArnaud Ente Bourgogne Chardonnay 2015
★★★★½
BurgundyDugat-Py Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2005
★★★★☆
BurgundyMichel Noëllat Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots 2014
★★★★☆
BurgundyLucien Le Moine Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Hauts Doix 2016
★★★★★
BurgundyDomaine Coche-Dury Meursault 2013
★★★★★
BurgundyLucien Le Moine Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Suchots 2015
★★★★½Explore
Bottles Father gave five stars
Only the wines Father scored a perfect 5
→
Wines in manga, film and history
Bottles that show up in manga, film and history
→
Wines you can buy at the supermarket
Wines actually bought at the supermarket
→Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Moillard's Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 1997?
A 100% Chardonnay white from the Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru vineyard in Burgundy's Côte de Beaune. Alcohol 13.6%, bottled by the Nuits-Saint-Georges négociant Moillard. This vintage has no listed Vivino critic score and only 12 community ratings (unofficial average 4.1). 1997 is considered a solid year for white Burgundy, though it also falls in the window of vintages flagged for premature oxidation ("premox").
How much does it cost?
US$100 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, last listed Apr 2013).
What food pairs well with it?
Vivino users suggest shellfish, pasta, rich fish (salmon, tuna), mild soft cheese and cured meat. With acidity at 3.4/5 and a full body, it works well with fish in butter sauce or a creamy pasta.
Where does the name "Corton-Charlemagne" come from?
From Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Emperor who owned this hill in the late 8th century. Legend says his queen disliked red wine staining his white beard and had one section of the hill replanted with white grapes, becoming today's Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. The one confirmed historical fact is that the name "Clos de Charlemagne" first appears in a document from 1375; everything else is legend.
Links & sources
View on Vivino · Prices on Wine-Searcher
- Vivino — wine page and community data (1997 vintage)
- Wikipedia — Corton-Charlemagne
- Burgundy Report — Profile: Maison Moillard (Nuits-St-Georges)
- Wikipedia — Premature oxidation
Read next
Swipe for more →
Tasted the same dayKrug, Grande Cuvée (NV)
France · Champagne★★★★★Tasted the same dayTenuta Luce, Luce 2012 (Toscana)
Italy · Tuscany★★★½☆Same producerDomaine Saint-Damien, Gigondas Vieilles Vignes 'La Louisiane' 2014
France · Rhône★★★½☆Same producerGeorges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau 2019
France · Burgundy★★★☆☆Similar styleDomaine Leroy Bourgogne Aligoté 2014
France · Burgundy★★★★☆Similar style