Corton Grand Cru "Domaine Latour" 2017

When Jean Latour established the Corton Grancey Cuverie in 1832–1834 — the first purpose-built winery in France — he carved five levels into the Corton hillside so that gravity alone would move every litre of wine, a structural commitment that still governs production today.

That same infrastructure now vinifies Pinot Noir from over 17 hectares of Corton Grand Cru, the largest single-domaine red Grand Cru holding in the Côte d'Or.

The fruit comes from the south-east face of the Hill of Corton, where red chalk, clay, and marl soils sit at mid-slope elevation — heavier and more iron-rich than the limestone summit reserved for Corton-Charlemagne — producing Pinot Noir with pronounced structure and dark-fruited density.

Vines average 35–40 years, concentrating extract without sacrificing site transparency.

After 100% hand-harvest and full destemming, grapes ferment in 45 large open wooden vats over approximately 14 days with manual pigeage; gravity transport is used throughout. Aging proceeds in 100% new French oak pièces (228 L), medium toast, 10–12 months — barrels coopered in-house from oak air-dried 24–36 months.

The defining transgression: all red wines are flash-pasteurised at approximately 72°C for 2–3 seconds before bottling, eliminating fining entirely while remaining the most openly debated technique in serious Burgundy. The 2017 vintage delivered ripe, structured reds with good concentration and natural freshness.