Vineyards and winemaking
Les Fournières is a Premier Cru of Aloxe-Corton planted on poor, stony limestone and clay soils. The Tollot-Beaut vines are mature and naturally low yielding, producing a Pinot Noir that combines the commune's structure with a notably velvety texture.
The exceptional 2005 growing season delivered ripe, balanced fruit. Hand-harvested grapes were sorted and fermented with indigenous yeasts in open vats, followed by gentle extraction and approximately 16 months in French oak, around 30% new.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Medium garnet with a broad brick-red rim.
Nose
Dried cherry, cranberry and rose are layered with liquorice, truffle, woodsmoke and warm earth.
Palate
Silky yet still purposeful, with mature red fruit, fine acidity and settled tannins. Savoury earth, spice and a lightly saline mineral note carry the rounded, persistent finish.
Food pairing
Choose roast partridge with bread sauce, loin of hare, beef cheek with glazed shallots, or a celeriac and mushroom gratin. A mature Reblochon can echo the wine's earthy, softened character.
Background story
Domaine Tollot-Beaut is a long-established family estate in Chorey-lès-Beaune and was among the early Burgundy domaines to bottle and sell its own wines. Its holdings around Aloxe-Corton, Chorey and Savigny give the range a strong identity rooted in the hill of Corton.
This 2005 is fully mature and should be handled gently. Stand the bottle upright well in advance, inspect the cork carefully and decant only to remove sediment; taste as you pour, because the most delicate aromas may be more expressive before prolonged exposure to air.
