Edmond Cornu & Fils Les Valozieres Aloxe-Corton Premier Cru 2017

From the highly regarded Aloxe-Corton Premier Cru vineyard of Les Valozieres comes this plush and powerful 2017 Pinot Noir. For an amazing under $70 (plus free shipping on just two), this special and limited bottling is officially the lowest price available anywhere online!

Situated at the bottom of the shining beacon of the Corton Grand Cru hill, Les Valozieres Premier Cru is one of the most esteemed vineyard sites in the Aloxe-Corton appellation. It shares a similar terroir to the notable Corton vineyards of Les Bresandes and Clos du Roi, with a sun-soaked, southeast-facing slope and limestone-rich soils with a clay topsoil and gravelly limestone base. The Cornu family owns just a one-third hectare parcel within the vineyard, farming roughly 50-year-old vines positioned on the mid-slope that develop potent, savory, incredibly ageable wine of remarkable depth and structure.

The Cordu family settled not far from Les Valozieres, in the town of Ladoix, in 1870, establishing their domaine five years later. Edmond Cordu took over in 1956 and began bottling the estate’s wines for sale in 1959, rather than selling it in bulk to negociants as had been historically done. His son, Pierre, took over next and tirelessly sought growth for his once-quaint family estate, continuously acquiring premium vineyard sites, now totaling 15 hectares across the communes of Ladoix, Chorey, Savigny, and Aloxe-Corton in the Côte de Beaune, and a small parcel in Corgoloin in the Côte de Nuits.

This 2017 is packed with dark cherries, black currant, and dusty plum skin, woven with brooding notes of powdery truffle, black pepper, cured meat, and scorched earth. At nine years old, it’s just entering its prime drinking window with plenty of lasting power to age another decade-plus. It has a refined structure and grippy tannins that allow it to hold up to some of the bigger meals and meats you might otherwise pair with, say, a Napa Cab. Go for two and grab yourself free shipping while you’re here, and stow away at least one of these gems for a fortunate future date!

PAIRING IDEAS: I know we’re in Burgundy, but I can’t help but believe a rustic, traditional Bolognese – made with beef, pork, veal, AND anchovies (IYKYK) – would be a slamdunk of a pairing with this earthy Pinot Noir. Here’s my go-to recipe.