Tasted in Beaune with David Croix, 12 November 2019.
Domaine des Croix
2 Rue Colbert
21200 Beaune
Tel: +33 3 80 22 41 81
David on 2019:
“Well, this year I didn’t really have any significant frost, there was just a little in Corton-Grèves. It was another warm year like 2018, but in 2019 I decided to wait a little. I felt there was more energy, more spine in the 2019 grapes.”
David on 2018:
“I first picked some Corton in August and that was the highest I saw with 14°, but there was water stress so I still had to chaptalize 2 cuvées. I went early because the rain that everyone was waiting for wasn’t in the forecast and in the end never happened. I’m really impressed how the wines have changed in elevage – of-course I didn’t want 15° and jammy, but the finesse and definition that they have gained remains a good surprise.”
The wines…
“Vintages of sun need their elevage, they need a second winter of elevage,” said David. If he’s on the ball, these wines will be even better than I currently find them! They are all rather sweet but are both complex and gorgeously shaped.
Contains a little Savigny. Racked a month ago, bottling early next year.
Very perfumed and round, a suggestion of whole cluster. Round, mouth-filling, a little tannic drag with fine grain. Highly superior Bourgogne!
2018 Aloxe-Corton Les Boutières
No wc here
Lovely high tones. Open, cool fruit, an impressive blend of energy and freshness for an Aloxe. A little structure – salty spiced. Lovely, mouth-watering finish. Excellent.
So perfumed with wild roses – yes 20% wc. – gorgeous. Supple, beautifully shaped, wide, a little mineral. Gorgeous villages – bravo.
40% wc
Again vibrantly rose perfumed. Wide, fresh, less impact than I expect but there’s an ethereal volume here. Long, tasty, über-delicious… Bravo.
2018 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Peuillets
A little extra freshness but the similar perfume of roses. Open, nicely structured, with freshness of flavour. Just a beauty – no Savigny herb here. I always love this wine!
2018 Beaune 1er Tuvillains
Ex Champy via some Paris investors… there was also some in 2016 – almost – which went into the generic 1er. 80-year-old vines, all destemmed,
Hmm, a more mineral nose. In the mouth too, wide, mineral. A fine-textured depth. Layered delicious wine. Simply super.
2018 Beaune 1er Pertuisots
A cool area, with shallow topsoil closer to Pommard.
There’s a faint reduction here – but the shape of the nose remains very attractive. A little more depth of flavour, of concentration, of tannin. Lovely slow-moving waves of finishing flavour. I find this perennial favourite cuvée to be very undemonstrative today, if still delicious.
2018 Beaune 1er Bressandes
No whole-clusters.
A more compact nose – wide, and faintly perfumed though. Hmm, a little more structured but beautifully melting flavour here. Delicious. A great finish too – really great – just a nose short of bravo today!
Again a fine perfume, practically higher toned and finer. Perfect shape, energy, and structure – wow wine – bravo!
2018 Corton Vigne Au Saint
A bigger wc nose – perfumed, roses but far from subtle! Big, so mouth-filling yet still open and mineral. A Corton for people who do not like Corton!
2018 Corton Grèves
Ooh, that’s a deep, muscular nose -tons of aroma. Big in the mouth too. A little grain to this texture but such muscle too – potentially great wine again.
2018 Corton-Charlemagne
In tank: A little reduction. Lots of action in the mouth, of minerality, of salinity, and impressive depth to the finish. Fine and intense agrume, a little round. Yum.
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