Domaine Tollot-Beaut Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Fournières 2022

Domaine Tollot-Beaut is a family estate in Chorey-lès-Beaune that has bottled its own wine since 1921, when most Burgundy was still sold in bulk. Les Fournières is a Premier Cru site on the lower slopes of Aloxe-Corton, where marl and limestone soils over clay hold water through the growing season and lend Pinot Noir its fine structure and mineral length. The 2022 vintage was warm and generous, so the fruit ripened fully while the calcareous subsoil kept the acidity fresh. Sixteen months in French oak, a portion of it new, softens the tannins through slow oxygen exchange across the barrel staves and adds a light spice frame without covering the fruit. The colour is a bright medium ruby. The nose leads with ripe raspberry and dark cherry, backed by rose petal, damp earth and a touch of clove. The palate is medium bodied and savoury, with red-berry fruit, fine chalky tannins and the salted, stony finish typical of the Côte de Beaune. Serve at 16 degrees, ideally decanted for half an hour, in a wide Burgundy glass. It suits roast duck, guinea fowl and mushroom dishes.