Aloxe-Corton
1er Cru Les Valozières 2018
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: 5 September 2018.
The grapes were sorted a first time in the vineyard and a second time on the sorting table when they arrived at the winery.
At the winery: the grapes were 50% destemmed but not crushed (they were left whole) and were gravity-fed into tanks. Maceration with 50% whole bunches of 19 days including 3 days cold (12 ° C): Fermentation used indigenous yeasts only (no additives such as enzymes or tannins were used). Vinification without sulfur. 3 punchings of the cap.
Ageing
Maturation: aged on the lees for 16 months with no racking using a proportion of 40% new French oak barrels.
Barrels: French oak barrels that had been toasted at low temperatures for a long time for very delicate oaking.
Bottling
Bottling in March 2020, the wine was very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity.
Number of bottles: 1,488.
Vintage
2018 , abundance and excellence
After a winter that was almost too mild, the vintage was notable for two contrasting periods. Spring was sunny and totally devoid of frost, despite some localized episodes of hail, which had major impact on certain plots on the Côte de Nuits, which were hit in June. Then the summer was dry and hot, blocking the ripening process in places. Picking began early, with exceptionally abundant fruit in tip-top condition, offering the potential for some very fine wines.
Ageing potential: from 7 to 10 years.
Tasting notes
The color is ruby red. The nose exudes intense aromas of red fruits and spices. The palate, which combines roundness and delicacy, is marked by fruit.
