A recent post by Jim Anderson about a 2002 Corton from Pousse d’Or gave me the idea to open this young puppy…
Domaine Bouchard Pere & Fils 2002 Corton - Le Corton Grand Cru
Lovely perfume of ripe fruit, minerals, and iron. Fresh and rich and very concentrated on the palate, but it has balance and grip… rocky detail, iron nuance, ripe tannin all in place even though there is a little oak showing. The energy and freshness of the wine keep pulling me back for another sip. Amazingly accessible for 8.5 years, but all is primary. Outstanding with upside potential.
So, I have a geo-question pertinent to this week’s intallment.
Is Faiveley’s Clos des Corton a separate appellation, a separate climat/lieu-dit, a Clos within either Le Corton, Renardes or Rognet? It is a monopole, right?
The information I found on the Faiveley website seems to indicate it is a separate appellation, and that it sits just north of Renardes and sandwiched between two sections of Le Corton. I can’t find it separately delineated in the Kobrand maps on Bill Nanson’s Burgundy Report website and don’t have the Coates book with me now.
Lew,
Interesting that this seemed so accessible this early on from such an historically long-lived appellation. Over the past couple years I’ve found several 2002s from other Cote de Beaune sites (Pommard and Savigny-les-Beaune) also very accessible. Wonder if this is indicative of '02 opening up early, or never shutting down, particularly in the Cote de Beaune.
Steve
I’m not Mike, but I’ll step in. Faiveley owns 3.15 ha of vines in the lieu-dit/climat of Rognet et Corton in Ladoix. Faiveley traditionally labeled this as Clos des Cortons rather than Rognet et Corton, and described it as a monopole. In effect, it was a Faiveley “brand name” for their holding in the Rognet et Corton lieu-dit. At the time of appellation controlee in 1937, the INAO recognized various lieu-dits/climats for labels, including Rognet et Corton, Clos du Roi, Bressandes, etc. But Clos des Cortons was not recognized, so Faiveley would not be permitted to use that name. Litigation followed, and the outcome was that Faiveley got an exception, based on long traditional usage of the name. They were required to add the Faveley name to the Clos des Cortons phrase. So the wine is labeled Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley.
It is my understanding that it still is not a recognized lieu-dit/climat, but rather a permitted labeling exception. So when you see that Rognet et Corton is ?? hectares (can’t remember the number, but is available in Jasper Morris’ book), the Faiveley 3.15 ha are included in that number. Faiveley still describes their holding as a monopole, but that is a streatch of the definition IMO.
I don’t know what would happen if faiveley sold their plot. BTW, I am not aware of Faiveley’s holding being an actual clos surrounded by walls. The word Clos is permitted on the label due to the court ruling that accepted historical usage.
Peter and Lew,
Thanks guys, I knew you’d know the answer! I just noticed too that Don Cornutt had mentioned earlier in the thread that it was a monopole. When it comes to Burgundy, it seems like the more I learn, the less I know…wouldn’t want it any other way.
Steve, I’m seeing a lot of accessible 2002’s from both Cotes, although I have not opened many grand crus from the Cote de Nuits recently. I am not seeing a lot of mature aromas and flavors, but IMO the wines are delicious and enjoyable but offer a lot more for the future… I hope. I have no idea whether they will turn grumpy again as secondary development occurs. I hope not.
John Gilman would say, in fact has said here recently, that the 2002’s are delicious, fruit-driven pinot noirs that are now showing pretty much all they have, and they will never display classic site-derived nuances reflective of their terroirs. I don’t know about that, but I’m looking forward to the ride. For the most part, I am laying off of my 1999’s. I am sampling 2002’s where I have more that just a couple of bottles of a particular wine.
Peter, I will give it a go and have no doubt you will correct me:
Appelllation Controlle = Corton
Commune = LADOIX-SERRIGNY
Climat = Le Rognet et Corton
Lieu-dit = Le Rognet et Corton
The first three being the official designation, the Lieu-dit being the “localised” name place. In reality Lieu-dit and Climat are interchangeable but not always as highlighted with Les Paulands, the Lieu-dit covers GC, 1er and Village, the Climat only the GC portion. It is thus better to use Climat if you are referring to the GC portion otherwise it is confusing.
Monopole = Clos des Cortons Faiveley (being part of Climat = Le Rognet et Corton)
Faiveley have a history of putting “Clos des Cortons” on the label going back to 1864. In 1930 the official ruling was that they needed to append Faiveley, so that is what you see today.
I am sure there is something I have left off that Peter would like to share with us.
Thanks Lew, I started this post and went and had breakfast by which time you had filled us in above. Cheers Mike
Lew,
I’ve been thinking about those observations JG made a while back, too. I don’t have many 2002s in the cellar, but will plan to hold on to some of them for many more years. For example, I have a single bottle of Faiveley’s 2002 Clos des Corton. Even with the accessible '02 examples lately, I’m too chicken to try that one, figuring it will be shut down, or at the very least, not nearly as interesting as it should be in another 10+ years.
The INAO décret does not recognize Clos des Cortons Faiveley: http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000021099931&dateTexte=vig. This is consistent with my understanding of the 1930 court judgment mentioned above: it allowed use of “Clos des Cortons Faiveley” on the label as a trade name, and so it is part of Le Rognet et Corton, as Lew says.
Note that the Faiveley label only says “Appellation Corton Contrôlée.” I’m pretty sure that if they could print “Appellation Corton Clos des Cortons Faiveley Contrôlée,” they would, but they can’t because it is not recognized by INAO. Compare, for example, the label for Faiveley’s Clos-de-Bèze which states “Appellation Chambertin-Clos-de-Bèze Contrôlée.”
Hi Lew,
When you say “the INAO recognized various lieu-dits/climats for labels”, my understanding is that the INAO only recognises the climat on the label, not the lieu-dit, even though the lieu-dit is often put on the label as a reference, it is not an official INAO classification. Cheers Mike
An elegant nose that is loaded with white fruit and minerals. The palate is very full in the mouth but dances from the acidity. White pear type fruit that extends on the finish with a flourish of minerality. This has incredible balance and freshness. I love it. Probably sooner rather than later for this one to go but if no premox this should be a really special one for aging. It is pretty ok to me right now however.
Allen Meadows said “it is like sucking on a pebble”. Couldn’t agree more.
This is from the white dirt side. Closer to the town of Pernand Vergelesses. Lots of limestone. It shows in the finesse and cut. Love it.
Chandon de Briailles Pernand-Vergelesses ‘Ile des Vergelesses’ (1er Cru) 2002.
This is a very mercurial wine. Started off as a borderline off-key soprano with the high tone acidity. In the subsequent hour, earthy bass notes, round (but still red and bright) fruit. A bit of a metallic edge - either house style or IdV, I am unable to determine since I don’t think I have had any other producer’s version. Nice dry down with pollen dust textures. Am liking a lot.
I remember our conversation. I hope that you like them as much as I do. So far, I think you have liked most of the stuff we have discussed, like Truchot , with the possible exception of Mugneret-Gibourg.
My take on climat is that it is usually associated with a Grand Cru in Burgundy. Not used in other cases such as village level vineyards.
While this is true but not necessary the whole true.
For example…CSJacques is a climat within the official village AOC : Appellation Gervey-Chambertin Controlle. Juice from this climat will be labeled as : Appellation Gervey-Chambertin 1ieme Cru Controlle. Is it legally allowed to be labeled as : Appellation Gervey-Chambertin CSJacques 1ieme Cru Controlle ? An excellent question !
Chablis is the AOC. The climat is Les Clos. BTW, if Moutonne was put out as a single offering (like Louis Michel has done I believe) it would also be a climat not a lieu-dit.
First of all…as a G-cru the official name for Chablis is : Appellation Chablis G-Cru Controlle. Within this AOC…there are approx. 7 well known climats and Les Clos is the largest.
For me La Moutonne is a monopole liex-dit whose 2.6 ha straddles the 2 following climats : Preuses and Vaudesir. With regards to the labeling…it appears ( so I was told )…that it has a similar agreement with INAO like Corton-Clos des Corton Faiveley.
Whether this could let us say La Moutonne is a climat ( and not a lieu-dit )…then I really do not know. For the simple reason that La Moutonne situated within 2 climats.
I would say it is a liex-dit as liex-dit is simply a name locality which has been there before AOC was born in the mid=1930s. Hope Mike will not object to what I said. Because it makes more common sense.
Oh…did I say : common sense ! Is there really any common-sense when you are talking about Burgundy …
so I will let Mr. Mike During answer the rest of your questions. 
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, with the possible exception of Mugneret-Gibourg.![[swearing.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/8/8a0d3f3461d40641d294442fc2be78039bf94d19.gif "[swearing.gif]"){kind=small}