At the heart of the hillside, the parcel Les Renardes flourishes on the southeastern flank of the commune of Aloxe-Corton. There are two hypotheses to explain the meaning of the name Renardes (which literally means vixens): the presence of numerous dens of foxes living in the area or the name of the climat’s* owners.
VINIFICATION
In the winery, hands are busy at work around the sorting table, removing any grapes affected by potential foes of the vine such as botrytis cinerea fungus, downy mildew, powdery mildew, hail, or scalding etc. De-stemmed grapes and whole clusters are stacked in temperature-controlled stainless steel vat. We don’t like to interfere too much in the wine-cellar; we prefer nature to take its course and produce its own vintage. It is a time where we need our senses to be fully alert: we listen, observe, feel, touch and taste this organic matter during its transformation. After about a week of maceration, the fermentation process begins. At the beginning, we prefer to do “punching of the cap” to gently extract the liquids, and at the end of fermentation; we perform pumping over to adjust the tannin structure of the wine. The wine is then drawn off and some of the pressed grapes are added to this juice. Once assembled, the cuvée is placed in French oak barrels.
AGEING
During the ageing, which refers to the progression of wine between fermentation and bottling, the wine is allowed to rest so it can undergo processes of fining, stretching and harmonisation. This long storage period in oak casks bestows the wine with a greater degree of complexity and depth in terms of its structure. We take great care in the choice of our casks, we use wood from the forests of Allier, Vosges and Tronçais. This Corton Grand Cru Les Renardes, is designed to be kept for many years, it is aged between 16 at 18 months in 70% new wood casks (228L Burgundian tuns).
Details
Grape Variety
Pinot Noir
Age of vines
Between 60 and 65 years
Soil
Shallow soil, with a clayey texture and moderate stone content, which came about from the weathering of oolitic and bioclastic limestones (skeleton remains of living organisms) from the formation of limestone deposits in Ladoix. These limestone deposits split into slabs a few centimetres thick, allowing the roots to penetrate the soil more deeply.
Tasting Notes
Corton Grand Cru Les Renardes is certainly the least tame of the Corton wines. On the nose, it is rich in aromas of blueberry, redcurrant, black pepper, liquorice and even has an animal subtlety. Its mouth is powerful, deep and frank. A racy wine with just the right balance that can be kept for a good many years.
Accompaniments: Roasted pheasant, hare à the royale, ragout of venison cooked in red wine, civet of boar with cranberries, Saint-Nectaire cheese...
Temperature of service : 14 °C