Aloxe Corton

Bright intense purple, this is also extraordinarily intense on the palate, with vibrant black fruit almost bramble jelly, yet high acidity to maintain the necessary freshness. It should come together nicely in the medium term.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

East-facing below the Charlemagne holding, this was one of the last wines to be picked. Intense purple in colour, this displays a fresh nose – clear cut and mineral. It is very intense but not too muscular, good with grape tannins and fresh hillside acidity. Very persistent.

Frédéric Weber has taken over prime winemaking responsibilities from Philippe Prost. He shares with his predecessor the ability to talk eloquently about his wines, with an excellent knowledge of each terroir. One change here is the increasing use of whole bunches during fermentation, though more in the Côte de Nuits than Côte de Beaune this year. Overall, these are excellent wines.

The wine from Patrick’s south-facing Corton-Charlemagne vineyard is matured in one year old barrels to avoid any overt new wood effect. The fruit has great energy here, some greengage character, real intensity through the middle, stony intensity behind, and lovely finish.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

Patrick chose to begin early around 26 September in order to pick while the grapes were still healthy, the relatively high acidity encouraged him to stir the lees a little more than usual and the wines were racked into tank just before the new harvest, apart from the Corton-Charlemagne which is back in barrel.

Rich, imperial purple with a huge, generous nose, this is exciting. A vast bundle of ripe dark fruit, some plums, some cherries, really very stylish indeed, and excellent length.  Very good weight, still lively and very long. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

The 2013 grapes were picked between 30th September and 11th October. The white skins were fragile so pressing was very gentle, the reds more robust and capable of a good proportion of whole bunch fermentation. Most wines are now in tank with bottling a little earlier than usual. An exceptional range of reds in particular from Bouchard this year.

When purchased in 2004, the vineyard was planted with Pinot Noir but, being southeast facing and with a light and slightly gravelly soil, it was felt it would be a better suited to Chardonnay. Nevertheless, a vineyard capable of ripening red grapes will endow a white wine with a certain opulence and, against the stricter style from Corton-Charlemagne round the hill towards Pernand, this is veritably exotic. The vineyard wasn’t frosted and the wine is positive and direct. Drink 2020-2027.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

Domaine de Montille was developed by Hubert de Montille (1930-2014), a prominent Dijon lawyer, who inherited 2.5 hectares of vineyards in Volnay in 1947. Over the years he acquired further parcels in Volnay, Pommard and Puligny-Montrachet Les Caillerets. Today the business is run by his son Étienne who has extended the domaine by purchases of vineyards in Beaune, Corton and the Côte de Nuits, including some marvellous Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts. The vineyards are farmed biodynamically and the red wines are increasingly vinified with whole bunches. Following the splendid successes here in 2015, this vintage provides a contrast in style, but with reasons to buy that are just as compelling. Volumes are down in certain appellations and winemaking has been tempered to release more of the vintage’s purity of fruit and definition of terroir. Use of whole bunches for the reds continues, but not by rote, with proportions being adjusted according to each cuvée’s requirements.

Rich purple with a lively, sumptuous dense fruit, this is very rich with a great crunch behind. Needs much more time. Massive with a good fresh finish but is just a bust a babe in arms at the moment.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

Faiveley use three picking teams. Two started in the white wine vineyards on 28th September and were finished in four days. Then it was all hands to the red grapes. In general the harvest came in healthily, the hard work all year round in the vineyards paying dividends. We were once again very impressed.

All whole-bunch vinified, this year’s Clos du Roi is a lovely, clear pink-purple. The nose is very fresh and pure, more raspberry than strawberry, with an underlying spice and the sweet fruit bursting through. Magical on the palate, this is a vibrant, delicious wine.

Étienne de Montille began picking whites on 10th and reds on 13th September, relatively early. Despite the hail (worst in Pommard than Beaune, Volnay less) yields were slightly improved compared to 2013. The fruit was clean with small berries, and beautiful clusters, so they were able to continue with their usual programme of whole-bunch vinification in most instances. The details are given for each wine. They will be long lived wines.

An excellent, medium deep colour heralds an elegantly fragrant nose, with a great deal behind. This is sensitively handled – it’s by no means a blockbuster and is very sensual in the mouth with a long finish. David’s deft touch with Corton continues.

Tasting with David Croix at Camille Giroud is always a pleasure, especially so this year as the range of 2014s is delicious. David feels that the wines are all about drinkability and balance rather than exceptional power. His theory is that the great start to the growing season kept the vines healthy through the cool, damp summer.

A rich, generous colour that’s full, yet bright purple, with very intense fruit and a touch of graphite. It continues to black cherries, with some bright red fruit notes, and a huge mouthful through the mid palate, leading to an exquisitely stylish finish with some oak and very good length.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

The new era at Faiveley is now into its sixth vintage and the house style, which allows the fruit to express itself in a very seductive manner while enhancing the individual qualities of each terroir, has been safely established. Now the management is concentrating on reinforcing their supplybase with some crafty contracts and vineyard purchases in both Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. We may be able to offer more cuvées in the future, and though opportunities are clearly limited by the 2012 vintage circumstances, we have been well looked after this year.

Just two barrels were made this year, instead of six. It has a very attractive bouquet with some fresh pineapple notes and an impressive density, with ripe apples and a generous middle, leading to a fine-boned finish.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

As far as supply is concerned it’s a topsy turvy position in 2012. Overall, Ben has made plenty of wine but some cuvées are missing this year. The best volumes are with the Chassagne-Montrachet Premiers Crus, which are always a strong point chez Benjamin. From a standing start in 2007 Benjamin has made truly exciting progress, and has grown his business a little more quickly than expected as great opportunities have come his way. Yet each year he still doesn’t seem to have quite enough wine to satisfy demand. Wines marked † are bottled under stelvin screwcap closures.

Slightly the palest colour of the three whites Immediate floral and mineral nose. Subtle and precise with some richer elements fleshed onto a fine-boned structure. Lovely elements suffuse the finish, fragrant lemon blossom. Long and fine and very persistent.
(Jasper Morris MW, BBR Buyer)

Opinions within the Berrys team were evenly divided between this wine and the Corton Rognet. Some preferred the elegant touch of the former but others were adamantly in favour of the majesty of the Clos du Roi. It has rich red fruit, supported by oak, a touch of chocolate at the back of the palate, and perfectly ripe tannins. This is a seamless and complete wine from Maison Camille Giroud.

Showing a brambly, briary nose, this Corton from Domaine de Montille has a huge wealth of fruit on the palate, tremendous length and a seductively persistent aftertaste.

With intriguing banana and pineapple notes and beautifully plump fruit on the palate, this Corton-Charlemagne Le Charlemagne Grand Cru from la Vougeraie has a fabulous vibrating energy and a wonderfully long finish.

This Corton is truly spectacular in 2010, with an incredible weight of wine on the back of the palate united with a seamless silky texture. There are some black fruit notes too and though both tannins and acidity are present, you hardly taste them because of the volume of fruit.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

The 2010 red wines are sublime here at Camille Giroud, responding well to David Croixs deft touch. His style is very much in tune with the vintage. The whites are very good too but there are fewer cuves this year.

Displaying exceptionally good acidity, this wine is refreshing, shows a lovely structure and great length. The lower part of the vineyard gives a solid base to support the high notes from the hillside sector, and together it makes a sublime version of Corton.
Jasper Morris MW, Berrys' Burgundy Director The resurgence begun by the trio of Erwan Faiveley, Bernard Hervé and winemaker Jérôme Flous, who arrived in 2007, is very apparent in this brilliant series of 2011 wines. They began the harvest on 31 August and picked for 9 days. There are some new wines this year from a contract for the whole production of an estate in Chambolle-Musigny and the Faiveley white wines from totally healthy grapes are particularly successful in 2011, perhaps the best we have seen from the new regime.

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A golden style Corton-Charlemagne from Domaine des Croix with attractive ripe fruit aromas, including traces of banana and coconut. This wine has a delightful freshness behind, followed up with attractive mineralty.

Bursting with perfumed raspberry fruit and violets on the nose, this wine is middleweight on the palate before reaching a rump of tannins, and a finale of sweet ripe fruit that returns to strike at the end.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Domaine de Montille picked between the 18th and 26th September in 2010. The red wines, made by American Brian Sieve (one of two winemakers in this catalogue born in Indianapolis!) under the surveillance of Etienne de Montille, now show a consistency of style and quality that perhaps was not entirely there a few years ago. The whites are the responsibility of Etiennes sister Alix and maintain the class of recent times. Together they have produced a fine result in 2010.

Just three barrels made this year, and although it is raised in new wood this does not show, thanks to the concentration of the wine. A rich purple colour with very lively red fruit and some raspberry notes, filling out the middle palate vey well, good weight, attractive acid balance. Another excellent Corton, as in recent years. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

Nicholas feels that the saving grace of the 2013 vintage was the amount of small berries caused by millerandage. He has opted for minimum extraction but longish cuvaison. The white wines have not been stirred because they were rich enough naturally. They are expected to be bottled in December and will all be under DIAM corks, apart from the Grands Crus. The reds will be bottled during February.