Aloxe-Corton

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The escarpment separating the limestone plateaux of the Hautes Côtes (400 to 500 metres) from the Bresse plain (approximately 250 metres) is rectilinear, of tectonic origin, and oriented northeast/southwest.
• The cool oceanic climate is disturbed by continental or southerly influences channelled along the Rhône-Saône axis, with approximately 750 millimetres of rainfall per year and a mean annual temperature of 10.5°C.
• The lower part of the slope rests on hard limestones of the Middle Jurassic, of which the limestone of the 'Dalle nacrée' breaks apart into slabs known as 'laves', which outcrop only occasionally in the landscape at mid-slope.
• In the upper part of the slope, the marly substratum of the Upper Jurassic is rich in silica in the form of chailles — nodules resembling flint — or of fine sands and silts.
• The geological sequence is capped by a layer of hard limestone forming a wooded summit escarpment at 385 metres altitude, which defines and characterises the distinctive landscape of 'Corton'.
• The parcels delimited for the harvest are situated at altitudes ranging from 230 to 350 metres, resting at the foot of the slope on well-drained clay alluvial deposits.

• The earliest evidence of vines at Aloxe dates to the 9th century, and the Emperor Charlemagne is said to have donated vines to the collegiate church of Saulieu in 775, a gift commemorated by the lieu-dit 'En Charlemagne' on the Montagne de Corton.
• In 1862, the commune of Aloxe added the name of its most prestigious cru to its own, becoming Aloxe-Corton, following a practice then widespread in the region.
• The Aloxe-Corton appellation d'origine contrôlée was recognised in 1938, following the organisation of producers into a syndicate in 1902, and a first list of climats eligible for the premier cru designation was established in 1943.
• The Aloxe-Corton vineyard is based on the Chardonnay and Pinot noir varieties, trained at planting densities exceeding 9,000 vines per hectare, and the wines are aged for several months.
• In 2008, the Aloxe-Corton vineyard covered approximately 120 hectares with an average annual production of nearly 4,500 hectolitres, of which 98% were red wines.

• The red wines are often distinguished by an elegance and a certain body resting on a balanced tannic structure, with frequent aromas of red or black fruits.
• The white wines are often marked by a certain minerality accompanied by aromas of fresh fruit.

• The topography of the Côte, its geological diversity, and the variety of its soils lend the wines a broad spectrum of nuances, which has led producers to differentiate the climats of the Aloxe-Corton viticultural area.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Dénominations géographiques complémentaires

• Aloxe-Corton premier cru AOC (PDO)
• Aloxe-Corton premier cru Clos des Maréchaudes AOC (PDO)
• Aloxe-Corton premier cru Clos du Chapitre AOC (PDO)
• Aloxe-Corton premier cru La Coutière AOC (PDO)
• Aloxe-Corton premier cru La Maréchaude AOC (PDO)
• Aloxe-Corton premier cru La Toppe au Vert AOC (PDO)
• Aloxe-Corton premier cru Les Chaillots blanc AOC (PDO)
• Aloxe-Corton premier cru Les Fournières AOC (PDO)
• Aloxe-Corton premier cru Les Guérets AOC (PDO)
• Aloxe-Corton premier cru Les Maréchaudes AOC (PDO)
• Aloxe-Corton premier cru Les Moutottes AOC (PDO)
• Aloxe-Corton premier cru Les Paulands AOC (PDO)
• Aloxe-Corton premier cru Les Petites Folières AOC (PDO)
• Aloxe-Corton premier cru Les Valozières AOC (PDO)
• Aloxe-Corton premier cru Les Vercots AOC (PDO)

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 24 octobre 2011, JORF 27 octobre 2011
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — BIVB