Winemaker Notes
A jewel of the Cornu cellar, La Corvée comes from a 0.3-hectare southeast-oriented parcel of vines past the half-century mark, and it offers the most powerful, visceral expression of Ladoix's unique terroir in the lineup. It is a Ladoix that is profoundly mineral, with a chiseled core of smoky rock to which spicy black fruits seem to cling for dear life. Intensity is the operative mode in the beginning of the wine's evolution, and patience will be required—but undoubtedly greatly rewarded.
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.”
Another charming village of the Côte de Beaune district of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, Ladoix-Serrigny produces mainly Premier Cru Pinot Noir, but also some Chardonnay. Interestingly, some of the villages’ Premiers Crus vineyards overlap with nearby Aloxe-Corton.