2023 Domaine Follin-Arbelet Aloxe-Corton "Les Vercots" 1er Cru

Domaine Follin-Arbelet Aloxe-Corton "Les Vercots" 1er Cru 2023 Franck Follin-Arbelet grew up in the Côte d'Or but came to winemaking through marriage, joining his father-in-law Andre's domaine in Aloxe-Corton in 1990 and taking over direction in 1993. He and his son Simon now make one of the most compelling portfolios in the village, working with a single village wine, four premier crus, and four grand crus spread across Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses, and Vosne-Romanée, all vinified in the domaine's deep stone cellars in the heart of the village. The approach in the cellar is traditional and restrained: whole cluster fermentation, aging in French oak with a modest proportion of new wood, and bottling without excessive intervention. The goal is always transparency, letting the site speak rather than the winemaker. Les Vercots is their flagship premier cru bottling, a parcel sitting on the upper slope of the hill of Corton where soils of red chalk, clay, and marl push the vines toward concentration and structure. It is one of the more powerful and age-worthy of the Aloxe-Corton premier crus, positioned just below the grand cru belt where the elevation and soil composition favor depth and longevity over early approachability. The 2023 vintage arrives with precision and elegance on the nose: dark cherry, blue fruit, ferric earth, potpourri, and a whisper of blackberry bush. The palate is medium-bodied and tightly wound, with fine, well-integrated tannins and energetic acidity framing flavors of cocoa powder, autumn leaves, and cedar. It has the clarity and focus that distinguishes the best of the domaine's work, neither overworked nor austere, but genuinely expressive of its site and vintage. Aloxe-Corton at its best can rival premier crus from across the Côte de Nuits, and Les Vercots makes that case with confidence.