•
1 1

Wine Tasting Adventure

2021 Domaine Chevalier, Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru `Les Valozières` - Liberty

£43.49 GBP
£43.49 GBP

The Chevalier family have made wine from their 15 hectares of vines, in the village of Ladoix, since 1850. Today, fourth generation Claude Chevalier is at the helm, running the estate with his two talented daughters Julie and Chloé. They recently renamed themselves Domaine Chevalier & Filles (‘and daughters’), a nod to these strong women who are taking this dynamic domaine forward and putting Ladoix on the map.

Chloé is now responsible for the winemaking at Domaine Chevalier and produces exceptional, fruit-forward white wines with a lifted fragrance that typifies great Burgundy, at relatively modest prices. The oak is always nicely balanced, with a lively acidity to lift the nutty fruit on the finish.

The Ladoix Blanc `Bois de Mont` is an excellent introduction to this village, showcasing both the marked minerality and linear acidity imparted on the wines by the chalk-clay soils here and how perfectly Chloé manages to integrate the oak, 20% of which is new for this wine. The Ladoix Blanc 1er Cru `Les Gréchons` is a step up in intensity. This prime, south-facing site is located at the top of the Ladoix slope with 25-year-old vines and produces a wine with great vivacity. The Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, from a parcel to the northwest of Ladoix on clay-limestone marls, is made with 40% new oak, which is perfectly integrated, creating a powerful, yet elegant expression.

Chloé also makes fantastic red wines. The Ladoix Rouge, a blend of eight parcels from across the village, with an average vine age of 45 years, has a real vibrancy to it, with bright red fruit and floral hints. The Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru ‘Les Valozières’ is one of the most highly regarded 1er Cru vineyard sites in Aloxe-Corton, located at the base of the Corton Grand Cru strip. This wine has concentrated notes of bramble and dark cherry fruit and is well-balanced with soft, ripe tannins and sweet spice flavours, which linger on the finish.

The Domaine Chevalier vineyards are spread across three villages at the northern end of the Côte de Beaune: these are Ladoix, Aloxe-Corton and Pernand Vergelesses. Vines for the Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru vineyard 'Les Valozières' are over 80 years old and are planted on a prime slope with a south-southeast aspect.

2021 was a challenging vintage for winegrowers and producers in Burgundy. There were historically low yields due to catastrophic spring frost and hail, compounded by a cold, wet growing season. It is a return to a more classic vintage marked by bright acidity and freshness thanks to the cooler temperatures and resulting slower ripening, which allowed for full flavour development.

The grapes were hand-harvested and, upon arrival at the winery, carefully sorted to ensure that only fruit of the best quality was used to make this wine. After a period of maceration on skins, the must was gently pressed and fermented at controlled temperatures in concrete vats for 15-20 days with regular cap management. The wine was then transferred to oak barrels, of which 20-25% were new, and aged for 11 months before bottling.

This is a beautiful wine with subtle touches of wood and rich dark berry aromas on the nose. Still young, it will benefit from several years cellaring and will age beautifully, to develop complex tertiary leather and spice characters.