Alain Gras Auxey-Duresses Vieilles Vignes Rouge 2017 Front Bottle Shot
Alain Gras Auxey-Duresses Vieilles Vignes Rouge 2017 Front Bottle Shot Alain Gras Auxey-Duresses Vieilles Vignes Rouge 2017 Front Label

Winemaker Notes

The nose is fruity and offers elegance, power and a small concentration. It reveals notes of black cherry, violet and small notes of plum associated with small touches of blackberry, blueberry / blue fruits as well as discreet hints of zan, spices, a discreet hint of pepper and an imperceptible toasted hint (in the background). The palate is fruity, juicy, elegant, well-balanced, gourmande and offers a beautiful acidulous frame, a beautiful dynamism, a good finesse of the grain, a beautiful juiciness, freshness, a beautiful guideline, a beautiful finesse, a beautiful definition, a small power as well as racy minerality. On the palate this wine expresses notes of black cherry, plum and violet associated with small touches of small wild berries, zan, discreet hints of cardamom (in the background) as well as an imperceptible hint of blond tobacco and almond. Tannins are fine and very slightly mellow. Good length. There is an imperceptible hint of tonka bean on the persistence. Good persistence.

Professional Ratings

  • 90
    Aromas of cherries, dark chocolate and licorice introduce the 2017 Auxey-Duresses Très Vieilles Vignes, a medium to full-bodied, deep and fleshy wine with an ample chassis of powdery tannins, ripe acids and an attractively sapid finish. This cuvée derives from a parcel planted over 100 years ago, making it an insider's choice in the appellation.
Domain Alain Gras

Domain Alain Gras

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Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”

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Auxey-Duresses Wine

Cote de Beaune, Burgundy

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Perched in the western uplands alongside the famous Chardonnay-producing village of Meursault, Auxey-Duresses is a small but substantial wine-producing sub-appellation in the Côte de Beaune of Burgundy. Its vineyards cover both sides of the valley (called a combe in French) that cuts through the low hills just west of the lower Côte de Beaune villages of Meursault and Volnay. Cooling winds flow through this basin during the growing season and result in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with a touch of charming rusticity. They are also more approachable in price compared to their Volnay or Meursault counterparts.

The village does include some Premiers Crus vineyards. Les Duresses and Le Climat de Val climb the southeastern slope of the Montagne du Bourdon.

Item# 1158947