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Edmond Cornu & Fils, Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru

Burgundy, France 2013 (750mL)
Regular price$109.00
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Edmond Cornu & Fils, Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru

Let’s get right to it today: This is one of the greatest red Burgundy values you’ll ever see. Yes, ever. It comes from the kind of family-run, farmstead domaine that defines—and distinguishes—Burgundy. I am a big fan of Edmond Cornu: If you want to experience the most traditionally styled expressions of Burgundy Pinot Noir, this is the place to look, but this Corton-Bressandes is really something special.


Not only is it a minuscule-production Grand Cru for a hair over $100, which is practically unheard-of these days, but it’s a wine with many more glorious years ahead of it, especially around its 10th birthday. As I’ve said before, the top bottlings from Cornu are like hibernating bears, but both the domaine itself and its importer, Neal Rosenthal, conspire to hold these wines back longer than just about anyone else before releasing them in our market. So, while many other Burgundians have already sold through their Grand Crus from 2017, we can still put our hands on this maturing, mesmerizing ’13. We have a very small amount to share, enough for up to four bottles per customer, and just to be crystal clear about this: You couldn’t make a more Grand Cru Burgundy purchase than this one.


The “Les Bressandes” climat (vineyard parcel) sits about midway up the famed Corton hill, on the eastern side facing the town of Ladoix, where the Cornu family has lived and farmed since 1870. They have been producing wine for over a century and bottling under their own label since the 1950s. Cornu is as steadfastly “old school” a Burgundy estate as I’ve ever encountered, and their wines are often mercilessly closed when young, but if you stash them away (for five to 20 years, depending on the vintage and cuvée), they are magically transformed. Experienced sommeliers know that mature Cornu is a real treat: While often light in color, the wines show profound depth and mineral complexity, typically overflowing with the sort of truffle/dried mushroom/meaty aromas that Burgundy collectors dream about, but seldom find, in this price range. 



Cornu’s parcel of Les Bressandes is planted to vines averaging 30 years of age, and their vinification process is straightforward, starting with hand-harvested, 100% de-stemmed fruit fermented on native yeasts and continuing with 12-15 months’ aging in French oak barriques (30% new in this case). In the glass, it’s a medium garnet-red with pink and orange reflections, and once exposed to some air, its aromas jump from the glass: red and black cherry, red currant, dried orange peel, rose petals, hibiscus, dried mushrooms, warm spices, and a touch of leather carry through to the medium-bodied palate, which should continue adding flesh with time and spill over into ‘medium-plus’ territory. It’s got the kind of perfume that’ll keep you returning to swirl and sniff over and over, so take it slow and watch it unfold over the course of a great meal. If enjoying a bottle now, decant it 60 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees, and pair it with something that won’t mask its detail and finesse. I’ll be watching this gorgeous, haunting red for many years to come. Enjoy!




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France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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