2022 Corton-Bressandes, Grand Cru, Domaine Follin-Arbelet, Burgundy
Critics reviews
A fine red to crimson colour. The bouquet is showing almost nothing at this early stage. There is a lovely pure red fruit on the palate, some oak behind, this is as always one of the more sensual styles of Corton, with good length and a little tannic structure.
Drink 2029 - 2036
Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy (October 2023)
The 2022 Corton Grand Cru comes from a parcel within the lieu-dit of Le Charlemagne. It has quite a serious bouquet, tightly wound. This will need time to open but is extremely well-defined with a sense of Pinot classicism. It doesn’t sing ‘n dance. The palate is well-balanced, the 25% new oak seamlessly integrated, building discretely towards the beautifully poised finish. This Corton might be easily overlooked, but for me, it epitomizes how far this Grand Cru has improved in recent years. Wonderful.
“It was way easier than 2021 or 2023,” Follin-Arbelet explained when we broached the 2022 vintage. “It was a bit like 2019. We were lucky to have no frost and good conditions throughout the summer. It was hot in May, but we had showers to prevent hydric stress, and there was just a little oïdium in some parcels. We had one parcel in Aloxe-Corton that was touched by hail…we don’t know when that happened, probably around when there was the storm.
We started picking on August 28 when we had expected to start on August 15, commencing with the reds and the Corton-Charlemagne, then took a week off and started again with a smaller team for the Chardonnay, which was quite challenging in terms of recruiting pickers. The alcohol levels are between 13.5% and 14.5%, with just a little chaptalization to extend the fermentation. The wines are racked into older oak barrels after nine months. After racking the wines in stainless steel vats for three months, they will be bottled in January or February.”
Drink 2027 - 2045
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (January 2024)
About this WINE
Domaine Follin-Arbelet
Franck’s ancestors owned vineyards in Aloxe-Corton, which they sold off towards the end of the 19th century.
As a child, he spent holidays in the village, working part-time in the vineyards and, in due course, marrying a local girl, Christine. Her family had some vines – enough for Franck to set up as a vigneron in 1993, subsequently adding further vines through rental agreements. In 2017, Franck was joined at the domaine by his son, Simon.
In the vineyard
Franck favours the most simple and natural form of farming possible. The grapes are entirely destemmed, vinified in wooden vats for about two weeks. The wines are aged for 18 months in barrel, initially with 20 to 25 per cent new wood before racking into older casks after 12 months.
Aloxe Corton
These two Grand Cru vineyards, Corton and Corton-Charlemagne, lie astride three villages at the northern end of the Côte de Beaune: Ladoix, Aloxe-Corton and Pernand-Vergelesses. The main body of the hill of Corton faces due south, with an extended flank exposed to the east, and another facing westwards. The white wines mostly come from west and south-west expositions, along with a narrow band around the top of the hill.
The Emperor Charlemagne owned vines here in the eighth century, and legend has it that his wife insisted he planted white grapes so as not to spill red wine down his beard and clothes. Corton-Charlemagne is always white and there is also a theoretical Grand Cru appellation called, simply, Charlemagne, which is never used. Corton is almost entirely red but there are a few white wines too.Ladoix is a rarely-seen appellation, as most wine here are sold as Côte de Beaune Villages. Aloxe-Corton is better-known, but as with Ladoix the best vineyards have been designated as Corton and Corton-Charlemagne.
There are also 25 lieux-dits that may be used on wine labels, together with Corton: Les Bressandes, Les Chaumes, Clos des Meix, Clos du Roi, Les Combes, Le Corton, Les Fiètres, Les Grèves, Les Manguettes, Les Maréchaudes, Le Meix Lallemand, Les Paulands, Les Perrières, Les Pougets (Pougeots), Les Renardes, La Vigne au Saint, Les Basses Mourottes, Les Carrières, Clos des Cortons Faiveley, Les Grandes Lolières, Le Rognet et Corton, La Toppe au Vert and Les Vergennes.
- 90 hectares of village Aloxe-Corton
- 38 hectares of Premier Cru Aloxe-Corton
- 118 hectares of village Ladoix
- 14 hectares of Premier Cru Ladoix
- 72 hectares of Corton-Charlemagne. The finest from En Charlemagne (Pernand) and Le Charlemagne (Aloxe)
- 160 hectares of Corton. The best from Clos du Roi, Bressandes, Pougets
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or.
Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.
Because of the thinness of the skins, Pinot Noir wines are lighter in colour, body and tannins. However the best wines have grip, complexity and an intensity of fruit seldom found in wine from other grapes. Young Pinot Noir can smell almost sweet, redolent with freshly crushed raspberries, cherries and redcurrants. When mature, the best wines develop a sensuous, silky mouth feel with the fruit flavours deepening and gamey "sous-bois" nuances emerging.
The best examples are still found in Burgundy, although Pinot Noir`s key role in Champagne should not be forgotten. It is grown throughout the world with notable success in the Carneros and Russian River Valley districts of California, and the Martinborough and Central Otago regions of New Zealand.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
This is from 0.43 hectares of old vines, east-facing on the lower part of the slope of the Hill of Corton. Just two barrels were made this year, offering up spicy red and black fruit. The palate is generous and creamy, with a silken tannic profile.
Drink 2028 - 2036
Berry Bros. & Rudd
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