Domaine Nudant - Aloxe Corton les Valozieres 2019

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Aloxe-Corton wine is produced in the communes of Aloxe-Corton and Ladoix-Serrigny in Côte de Beaune of Burgundy. The appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) Aloxe-Corton may be used for red and white wine with respectively Pinot noir and Chardonnay as the main grape variety. The production consists of almost only red wine, around 98 percent, and only around two percent white wine. The southern and eastern side of the Corton hill is located in the commune of Aloxe-Corton, including vineyards of all three Grand Cru AOCs of the hill; Corton, Corton-Charlemagne and Charlemagne, and its northeastern part in the commune of Ladoix-Serrigny. The major part of the Corton hill is located within Aloxe-Corton. The AOC was created in 1938.

In 2008, there was 117.78 hectares (291.0 acres) of vineyard surface in production for Aloxe-Corton wine at village and Premier Cru level, and 4,382 hectoliter of wine was produced, of which 4,301 hectoliter red wine and 81 hectoliter white wine. Only some 1.40 hectares (3.5 acres) of this area was used for the white wines in 2007. The total amount produced corresponds to close to 600,000 bottles, of which around 10,000 bottles of white wine.

For white wines, the AOC regulations allow both Chardonnay and Pinot blanc to be used, but most wines are 100% Chardonnay. The AOC regulations also allow up to 15 per cent total of Chardonnay, Pinot blanc and Pinot gris as accessory grapes in the red wines, but this not very often practiced. The allowed base yield is 40 hectoliter per hectare of red wine and 45 hectoliter per hectare for white wine. The grapes must reach a maturity of at least 10.5 per cent potential alcohol for village-level red wine, 11.0 per cent for village-level white wine and Premier Cru red wine, and 11.5 per cent for Premier Cru white wine.

Aloxe-Corton is featured in the Fawlty Towers episode The Hotel Inspectors.

Domaine Nudant Description

The domaine’s beginnings date back to the late 19th century when François Xavier Julien first purchased some vineyard land in Comblanchien and Nuits Saint Georges. After the second World War, François’ son Armand set about expanding their holdings by purchasing more vineyards. His son Gérard continued the expansion in the 70s and 80s bringing the estate to roughly 10 hectares, where it is today with his acquisition of parcels of Nuits Villages, Nuits Saint Georges and Echezeaux Grand Cru.

Recently, Gerard’s son Etienne Julien has assumed control of the estate. The fourth generation at the helm, Étienne is ushering in a new era of quality. Etienne set about upgrading things from the moment he took the reins beginning with the vineyards. A more organic approach was adopted and now the follow a strict "lutte raisonnee" methodology to control disease and pests. Yields are carefully controlled now and there is a sorting both in the vineyard as well as the winery before the grapes are destemmed. After a maceration of a few days with minimal punch downs, the wines are vinified and aged in 228L barrels until spring of the following year before being bottled. For the Cotes de Nuits-Villages and Nuits St Georges, the wines typically are aged in 30% new barrels, whereas the Nuits St Georges 1er Cru and the Echezeaux will see 50% new barrels.

Etienne has just taken over at the domaine, but in a very short time it’s clear he is a real talent who is continuing to improve. In the coming years he no doubt will be one of the fresh faces in Burgundy that everyone will be talking about.