Pinot Noir

Vineyard

Site: Aloxe is a charming village located north of Beaune and lying below the imposing hill of Corton, famous for its Grands Crus.
History & tradition: the ability of these wines to travel well contributed to the fame of Burgundy in places like Great Britain, Russia and Central Europe.
Soil: chalky soil with a large proportion of iron oxide, giving the soil its characteristic reddish colour and the wine its structure.

Viticulture

Plantation density: 10,000 vinestocks/ha in order to extract as much as possible from the terroir and limit the production of each vine stock.
Pruning: Guyot.
Yield: 46 hl/ha - low on purpose, in order for the grapes to reveal every nuance of the terroir.
Grape supply: grapes and wines are purchased from regular supply partners (long-term contracts).
 

Vinification

Maceration :

• maceration and vinification take 2 to 3 weeks
• indigenous yeasts
• maceration and fermentation temperatures under total control.
• Joseph Drouhin seeks total control of the process of extraction; extraction gives colour and substance but should never be detrimental to the finesse and typical character of the wine.
  "Pigeage"(punching down of the cap during fermentation): once a day until half of fermentation is done; one pumping over ("remontage") per day till the end of the fermentation.
  Pressing: vertical press; separation of free run juice from pressed juice.

   

Ageing

Type: in barrels (20% in new oak).
Length: 14 to 18 months.
Origin of the wood: French oak forests.
Weathering of the wood: Joseph Drouhin insists on total control of the weathering for a period of 3 years, one of the contributing elements to the elegance of the wine.
Follow-up: barrel by barrel.

Throughout the ageing process, decisions are taken only after careful tasting evaluation, barrel by barrel. The data obtained is then completed through technical analysis. As with every other Joseph Drouhin wine, absolute priority is given to the true expression of terroir and character of the vintage.

Tasting note by Véronique Boss-Drouhin

"A well-structured wine, without any hardness. Beautiful intense red colour. Powerful nose, with aromas of candied fruit, evolving with age towards spicy and musky aromas. A solid framework is felt on the palate. Long aftertaste with flavours reminiscent of the same candied fruit aromas".

Vintage

Beautiful crop. The reds are colourful, structured and very expressive aromatically. The balance between alcohol and acidity is satisfactory.

Serving

Temperature: 16°C (61-62°F).
Cellaring: 5 to 10 years.