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

Domaine Follin-Arbelet's 2023 Aloxe-Corton "Les Vercots" 1er Cru is a red Burgundy from one of the village's most structured and age-worthy premier cru sites. The parcel sits on the upper slope of the hill of Corton, where red chalk, clay, and marl soils push the vines toward concentration and longevity rather than early charm. Les Vercots is positioned just below the grand cru belt, where elevation and soil composition favor depth and tension, and it is the flagship premier cru bottling from a domaine that works across Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses, and Vosne-Romanée with precision and restraint. Franck Follin-Arbelet joined his father-in-law Andre's domaine in Aloxe-Corton in 1990 and took over direction in 1993. He and his son Simon now farm four premier crus and four grand crus from deep stone cellars in the heart of the village. The approach is traditional: whole cluster fermentation, aging in French oak with modest new wood, and bottling without excessive intervention. The goal is transparency, letting the site speak rather than the winemaker. This is one of the most compelling portfolios in the village, and Les Vercots is the wine that makes the case for Aloxe-Corton premier cru as a rival to sites across the Côte de Nuits. The 2023 vintage opens with dark cherry, blue fruit, ferric earth, potpourri, and blackberry bush on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied and tightly wound, with fine tannins and energetic acidity framing cocoa powder, autumn leaves, and cedar. It has the clarity and focus that defines the best of Follin-Arbelet's work, neither overworked nor austere, just genuinely expressive of its site and vintage. Drink it with duck breast, roasted mushrooms, or lamb with herbs, or cellar it for five to ten years to let the structure unfold. This is Burgundy that rewards patience but does not demand it. In stock at Off Premise in Lincoln Park.