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One of Chandon de Briailles’ three Cortons, this is the lowest lying site, on iron-rich clay soils with a smattering of small stones, very like the soils found throughout much of the Côte de Nuits. It consistently produces one of the most enjoyable wines in their cellar. Claude de Nicolay describes it like a “basket of cherries”, which is the most perfect description. 80% whole bunch and gentle pressing in the new basket presses have yielded intricately fine, creamy tannins, and the wine is well supported and seasoned by the 20% new oak.
One of Chandon de Briailles’ three Cortons, this is the lowest lying site, on iron-rich clay soils with a smattering of small stones, very like the soils found throughout much of the Côte de Nuits. It consistently produces one of the most enjoyable wines in their cellar. Claude de Nicolay describes it like a “basket of cherries”, which is the most perfect description. 80% whole bunch and gentle pressing in the new basket presses have yielded intricately fine, creamy tannins, and the wine is well supported and seasoned by the 20% new oak.
The 2017 Corton Les Maréchaudes Grand Cru was bottled at the beginning of September. It has a charming, pure, red currant and cranberry bouquet with well-integrated new oak (a modest 20%). The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin. This feels linear, maybe a little light for a Grand Cru, so I understand why it has been bottled early. Still, I appreciate the dash of white pepper and bay leaf that springs up on the aftertaste. 2020 - 2030
A ripe, cool and restrained nose grudgingly offers up fresh aromas of various red berries, spice, violet and again, plenty of sauvage elements. There is excellent volume to the succulent and velvet-textured big-bodied flavors that are at once caressing but powerful, all wrapped in a mildly austere but not rustic finale that possesses excellent depth and persistence. This firm and serious effort is very Corton-like and will need similar amounts of patience. Drink: 2029+
Here there is more than a whiff of barnyard character to the ripe aromas of plum, dark pinot fruit and plenty of game and earth. There is excellent volume to the succulent and velvet-textured big-bodied flavors that are at once caressing but powerful, all wrapped in a mildly austere but not rustic finale. This is a difficult wine to rate because the brett isn't subtle yet it's not on the palate today but that is no assurance that it will not be as this ages. Moreover, precisely because it is built for the longer-term, it's possible that this may well become unacceptably bretty. Drink 2029+
A complex bouquet of ripe red fruits, warm spices, dried flowers, blood orange and raw cocoa introduce the 2017 Corton Les Maréchaudes Grand Cru, a medium to full-bodied, satiny wine with silky tannins, a juicy core of fruit and a long, chalky finish. This is an elegant and classy Maréchaudes that should enjoy a broad drinking window. It was already bottled when I tasted it.
The Grands Crus of Corton, a red made from Pinot Noir, and Corton Charlemagne, a white made from Chardonnay are shared between Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix Serrigny and Pernand Vergelesses. The vines for both are planted on the hillsides underneath the plateau of Corton's woodland forest. The majorityof Pinot Noir is planted in the southern and eastern sector where the soil is naturally rich with red iron clay giving additional body and power. Overall, the wines from these areas tend to be fruit forward and fleshy with a balance of round edges and fine concentration.
