Domaine Chandon de Briailles - Corton Les Marechaudes 2017

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... for my money, these are among the small handful of wines that realize the true potential of the hill of Corton—to say nothing of the domaine's reference-point wines from Savigny-lès-Beaune and Pernand-Vergelesses." —William Kelley, Wine Advocate

"The proprietors, the de Nicolay family, make natural, pure, delicious whites and reds that reward aging. They do make grand cru Cortons, both white and red, but most of their production is village and premier crus from Savigny-lès-Beaune, Pernand-Vergelesses and Aloxe-Corton. The reds are spicy and expressive. Highly recommended." —Eric Asimov, New York Times

This domaine is quickly becoming one of the very finest to be found anywhere in the Côte D’Or...these are great, classically styled, terroir-driven red and white Burgundies that age brilliantly, and are among the treasures to be found in the Côte de Beaune for those adventurous enough to try a few bottles.” —John Gilman, View From the Cellar.

Domaine Chandon de Briailles Description

Corton is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) and Grand Cru vineyard for red and white wine in the Côte de Beaune subregion of Burgundy. It is located on a hill shared between the three villages of Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses and Ladoix in the Côte de Beaune, Burgundy. The appellation covers the lower parts of the Corton hill and includes several subordinate vineyard names, or climats, within the AOC. Because of the size of the AOC and the variability of these climats, it is the rule rather than the exception that the name of the climat is indicated together with that of the Corton AOC, leading to designations such as Corton Clos du Roi and Corton Les Bressandes. Corton is rare in this aspect, as the 'climat' is seldom used for other Grand Cru appellations in Côte d'Or. The AOC was created in 1937.

Corton wines are mostly red (around 95 per cent of the total production in the AOC) and made from the Pinot noir grape, however a smaller quantity of white Corton from Chardonnay is also produced. Around 500,000 bottles a year are produced from the vines.

The Corton appellation itself is the Côte de Beaune's only Grand Cru appellation for red wine, and is the largest Grand Cru of Burgundy.

Located just below Corton Bressandes, the vineyards have east-southeast exposure; Claude explained that here, you begin to see some similarities to the soil you find in the Cote de Nuits. The soil is red as it is very ferruginous, and you find limestone rocks throughout the vineyard. Chandon de Briailles has two-fifths of a hectare here, planted in 1974 and 1979. The domaine has been working the parcel by horse since 2012 and avoids using tractors in the vineyard to avoid compacting the soil. Each vine is cared for by hand. It's a fantastic Grand Cru site. Wine from here tends to be more open than Bressandes or Clos du Roi in its youth— perfect for those who prefer young wines— yet still has finesse and a velvety texture with fine tannins

Burghound: 93 Points

Wine Advocate: 92 Points

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.