Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru, “Les Moutottes”

The vineyard of Les Moutottes sits right next to the grand cru Corton-Rognet; the Cornu family owns a one-half hectare parcel. Here, we have a wine that is graceful with a generous fruit that soothes the beast that is Aloxe-Corton; it is seductively luscious but with lots of backbone, a friendly, sophisticated and fine companion at the table. With air, the endless layers of that profound Aloxe minerality come surging forth, along with sappy black fruits and that telltale Cornu fresh-turned-earth element. Pierre calls this his “belle danseuse,” which is perhaps appropriate in the context of the appellation … or if we’re talking about Pina Bausch’s interpretation of Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring!”