Aloxe-Corton
1er Cru Les Valozières 2017
Often presented as the little brothers of the Cortons, the Aloxe-Cortons enjoy a stronger reputation than the neighboring village appellations…
Origin
The Aloxe-Corton appellation covers 119 ha on the territory of the town of Aloxe-Corton and 8.5 ha on that of Ladoix-Serrigny, at the beginning of the Côte de Beaune. Nearly half of the vineyard area is classified as Grand Cru and no less than 17 classified Premier Cru. There are two types: those located on the Pernand-Vergelesses side and for the one that interests us The Valozières bordering the Grands Crus from below: the exhibition is perfect in the east, the land is quite heavy and deep giving wines a character structured and powerful. "Valozières" refers to the wicker that grew there.
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot noir
Soils: mainly clayey deep soil.
Orientation: East
Surface area under vine: 0.2552 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 36 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 55 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 16th of September 2017.
The grapes were handpicked. They were sorted a first time in the vineyard and again on the sorting table when they arrived at the winery.
At the winery: The grapes were 50% destemmed and were gravity-fed into tanks. Maceration lasted a total of 13 days including 3 days of cold maceration (12°C). Fermentation used indigenous yeasts only (no additives such as enzymes or tannins were used). 4 punchings of the cap. Vinification without sulfur.
Ageing
Maturation: aged on the lees for 16 months with no racking using a proportion of 35% new French oak barrels.
Barrels: French oak barrels that had been toasted at low temperatures for a long time to impart a very delicate touch of oak to the wine.
Bottling
Bottling: The wine was not fined but was very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity in March 2019.
Number of bottles: 1,228
Vintage
2017 – Finesse
The growing cycle was thrown off-kilter by a very cold winter, late spring frost, then optimal conditions for rapid flowering, sporadic hail, and summer drought. Harvesting began in early September in the sun, and after several lean years, the vines finally produced abundant grapes, although with significant differences in maturity between whites and reds and from one region to another, which called for strict sorting.
Ageing potential: from 7 to 15 years.
Tasting notes
The color is brilliant ruby red. The powerful nose exudes intense aromas of roses and a mixture of sweet spices and pepper. There are also some toasted notes. The mouth which combines freshness and concentration, offers soft tannins and a good length.
