Domaine Follin-Arbelet Aloxe-Corton Clos du Chapitre Premier Cru 2012
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Clos de Chapitre comes from the 0.95-hectare clos in the middle of the titular village shared by two producers. It has an understated, elegant if uncomplicated bouquet with perfumed red berry scents that blossom with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a fine silky entry. This Aloxe-Corton is very well-balanced, the 25% new oak deftly embroidered into the fabric to lend the finish real sophistication and class. This superb premier cru comes highly recommended.
Range: 90-92 -
Wine Spectator
This rich red brims with cherry, raspberry and spice flavors, married to a juicy profile. Exhibits density, revealing a hint of toast and vanilla on the finish. Best from 2017 through 2025. 78 cases imported.
Other Vintages
2020-
Jasper
Morris
Having grown up in Burgundy’s famous Côte d’Or, Frank Follin-Arbelet was always attracted to viticulture, but his family’s vines were all rented out to métayeurs (share croppers), and they did not make their own wine. In 1990, when the opportunity came to join his father-in-law’s domaine in Aloxe-Corton, Franck jumped at the chance and in 1993, after André retired, and Franck took over the direction of the domaine. Franck and his wife Christine are fortunate to produce one village wine, four premier crus, and four grand crus in Aloxe-Corton (their hometown), Pernand-Vergelesses, and Vosne-Romanée. When asked what inspires him the most, Franck responded, “wine that represents its terroir and a job well done.
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.”
Prevailing over the charming village of Aloxe, the hill of Corton actually commands the entire appellation. Corton is the only Grand Cru for Pinot Noir in the entire Côte de Beaune. Its Grand Crus red wines can be described simply as “Corton” or Corton hyphenated with other names. These vineyards cover the southeast face of the hill of Corton where soils are rich in red chalk, clay and marl.
Dense and austere when young, the best Corton Pinot Noir will peak in complexity and flavor after about a decade, offering some of the best rewards in cellaring among Côte de Beaune reds. Pommard and Volnay offer similar potential.
The great whites of the village are made within Corton-Charlemagne, a cooler, narrow band of vineyards at the top of the hill that descends west towards the village of Pernand-Vergelesses. Here the thin and white stony soils produce Chardonnay of exceptional character, power and finesse. A minimum of five years in bottle is suggested but some can be amazing long after. Fully half of Aloxe-Corton is considered Grand Cru.