Domaine Follin-Arbelet Aloxe Corton 1er Cru 'Les Vercots'

While Franck Follin-Arbelet might seem quiet and unassuming, the intensity of his wines speak louder than words. He grew up in Burgundy's famous Cote d'Or, and his family had vineyards, but they were all rented out to share croppers, and they did not make their own wine. After marrying his wife Christine from the famous Latour family, Franck came on board at his father-in-law's estate in Aloxe-Corton.

Franck took over the estate in 1993, and today, the winery is recognized as one of the best in the appellation. His 1er Cru Les Vercots comes from a 1 hectare plot planted in 1947. It is fermented slowly in open-top wooden vats with indigenous yeasts, and it is bottled without fining or filtration. Pure and intense, stony and mineralic, this is a powerful Red Burgundy with a long life ahead of it.

'A very pretty, indeed perfumed, nose speaks of various red berries, floral and discreet spice nuances. The succulent and round medium weight flavors also possess a lovely texture along with good underlying tension before culminating in a balanced and even firmer finale. Les Vercots virtually always ages well and this excellent example should as well.' - Burghound, 91-93 points.