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Domaine Gaston & Pierre Ravaut, Corton Grand Cru “Les Hautes Mourottes”

Burgundy / Côte de Beaune, France 2007 (750mL)
$95.00
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Domaine Gaston & Pierre Ravaut, Corton Grand Cru “Les Hautes Mourottes”

I first tasted Gaston & Pierre Ravaut’s extraordinary Corton well over a year ago and immediately appealed for an allocation. We eventually got one, albeit 10 cases, but any amount was fine by us. Our tiny shipment was already on the water when we made a personal visit to the estate this past April, and at one point during the extensive tasting, Monsieur Ravuat disappeared into the recesses of his cellar and emerged with today’s ‘07.
He was generous enough to pull the cork on one of the few that remained in his private stash! Needless to say, it confirmed everything we had originally loved about the wine. It’s exactly what one should demand in a mature Pinot Noir from a Grand Cru. This is Corton, after all, and the wines here are notorious for their brawniness in their youth. But if you have the patience, or, even better, a direct connection with a winery who did the cellaring for you, Corton Rouge opens up with incredible generosity, class, and the utmost finesse. You’ll find all that and more in this limited 2007, as it has entered its window and is tracking towards a blindingly bright evolution over the next two decades. This exclusive offer is the epitome of classy, evolved Grand Cru Burgundy, and it’s coming right to your door for a mellifluous song. Like us, you’ll be grinning wide once that first cork is pulled. 
Up until several years ago, Vincent and his brother, Pierre, represented the sixth generation of Domaine Gaston & Pierre Ravaut, a long-admired estate that reached new levels of success in the latter half of the 20th century. But, as is ever-so-common in Burgundy, the brothers went their separate ways, with Pierre leaving to open up his own domaine and Vincent staying put at G&P Ravaut. Off a fresh visit to the latter, we were thrilled to walk through rows of barrels and taste the quality that’s coming out of this small-scale estate. 

The hill of Corton is sprawling, meticulously segmented, and filled with confusing regulations, but one thing is clear: their regal wines can make for some of Burgundy’s finest, given the proper amount of cellaring. Today’s special bottling comes from Corton’s “Les Hautes Mourottes,” a climat perched on the northeast-facing side of the hill. Monsieur Ravaut only owns a sparse amount of vines here, but those he does farm are mature trunks positioned to soak up the soft morning rays while avoiding direct contact with the hot, late-afternoon sun. 

Ravaut’s parcel is farmed sustainably and his hand-picked crop undergoes traditional work in the winery: long fermentations and slow barrel aging in a combination of used and new French oak, and a gentle bottling to preserve the nuances of each wine. This 10-case batch only just left his cellar at the beginning of 2019—prior to that, it led a sheltered life in a dark nook of Ravaut’s cold cellar.

A dozen years of undisturbed evolution has worked wonders on this 2007 “Les Hautes Mourottes.” It has gracefully evolved into a Grand Cru of refined power and supple elegance with just-crushed black cherries, dewy underbrush, moss, saddle leather, crushed raspberries, black tea, damp roses, and hints of clove that waft from the glass. It should be noted that when enjoying such a regal bottle of wine, it should be treated properly. So, polish your finest Burgundy stems and serve the wine around 60-65 degrees after a 30-60-minute decant. On the palate, that aforementioned lesson on balancing power and elegance is immediately revealed, as this medium-plus bodied wine opens up with fine-grained tannins, lively freshness, and the happiest of marriages between dark berry fruit and crushed stones. There’s still an astonishing amount of primary fruit on this wine, so if you lean more towards the savory side of mature Burgundy—cured meat, vintage leather, dried herbs—allow some of your bottles to tack on another 5-10 years. That said, one must be opened soon because it’s in a stunning window as we speak. Enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy / Côte de Beaune
Sub-Region
FranceCorton Grand Cru / Les Hautes Mourottes Lieu-Dit
Soil
Clay & Limestone
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Pinot Noir 100%
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
~40% New French Barrels
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Burgundy Stem
Drinking
Now-2027+
Decanting
30 Minutes
Pairing
Herb-Roasted Pork Loin

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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