Wine Advisor
Claire & Stephane Follin-Arbelet, Corton Grand Cru Clos Blanche 2017
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Corton Clos Blanche Grand Cru is displaying conspicuous vanilla-y oak on the nose that slightly obscures the terroir expression. The palate is balanced and the oak does not come across as strongly as on the nose, but it still feels a little generic and lacks complexity on the finish. Too much winemaking is evident here, at least at the moment, but if the oak can fully assimilate, then this will deserve a higher score. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune.
About the Producer
The garden of Stéphane Follin-Arbelet’s house on the outskirts of Aloxe, was planted with vines in the 1920s, though there were none when he bought the house. Having unearthed the history of his garden, and in the process finding out that his great, great-grandfather had previously owned the same house, Stéphane asked for permission from INAO to plant. Eventually the permission came, and in 2007 his brother planted the 0.1 hectare plot with three different chardonnay clones, covering about half of the garden with vines. The domaine sits on a small incline, officially within the area of Corton-Chaumes, but surrounded also by Cortons Clos du Vigne aux Saint, Senard’s Clos des Meix, the Hospices’ Fietres, Corton-Perrières and directly behind the garden are the Corton-Charlemagne vines of Etienne de Montille – officially in Pougets.
