The 2016 Aloxe-Corton Village, whose vines went unscathed by the frost and is matured in 25% new oak, offers enticing blueberry and cassis aromas on the nose, simple but effective. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins; cassis mixed with bilberry and blueberry fruit leading to a nicely structured finish. This is a very competent Aloxe-Corton that should give several years of drinking pleasure.

The 2015 Aloxe-Corton Village has a lively bouquet with crisp redcurrant and cranberry fruit, hints of early grey and gravel emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with lightly spiced black cherry and blueberry fruit. It is not a complex village cru, yet it is well balanced and has a sense of joy on the finish.

From four different parcels that were all brushed by hail according to Nathalie Tollot, the 2014 Aloxe Corton Villages has a modest red berry, blueberry-scented bouquet that just needs a little more energy. The palate is medium-bodied with citrus-fresh fruit, a little compact in structure with slight attenuation towards the finish. It just needs to get into its stride like the Chorey-les-Beaune Villages.

The 2013 Aloxe-Corton Village comes from four parcels, though Nathalie Tollot told me that one on the Pernand side was hit by hail. Matured in 50% new oak, it offers pronounced dark chocolate scents on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with red and black fruit intertwined, moderate acidity with a slightly conservative finish.

The 2012 Aloxe-Corton Village comes from four separate parcels around the village totaling just under a couple of hectares. The nose is again, very fragrant with lifted red berry fruit tinged with black tea: lively and energetic. The palate is very refined but a little pinched on the entry, but it gains momentum and the tannins provide firm backbone and a sense of classicism on the finish. This probably punches just above its weight and should represent great value once released. This was my second visit to Domaine Tollot-Beaut – ever. The first was circa June 1997, a milestone in my career since it constituted the first winery that I ever visited. As I quipped to Nathalie Tollot on my return some 16 years later, I know a bit more than nothing about wine. Nathalie herself looks about the same age as she did back then, petit with jet-black hair, slightly Mediterranean looking perhaps, probably takes I.D. with her whenever ordering at a bar. She is one of Burgundy’s most personable vignerons, the kind you fancy going out for a beer with after work. Nathalie actually started her tenure back in 1987, five years after Jean-Paul who is married to Anne Gros in Vosne-Romanee and three years prior to Olivier making the trio of current co-proprietors. They farm approximately 23 hectares mainly close to their winery in Chorey-les-Beaune, including several premier crus and three grand crus. Much of their vineyards are planted at a comparatively high density to other growers at around 11,000 vines per hectare, they eschew chemical fertilizers but will spray if absolutely necessary, completely de-stem their crop, skip cold maceration and practice a short cuvaison. I remarked to Nathalie that in Burgundian terms her winery has positively acres of space, to which she replied that she is grateful for the foresight of her ancestors (indeed, Tollot-Beaut was one of the first domaine’s to bottle their own wine back in the 1930s.) After we had tasted through the reds, we returned to the ground floor level to finish with their Corton-Charlemagne. Unfortunately, Nathalie could not find it. “I’m sure it was up here,” she says in similar to fashion to you and I losing our car keys. After five minutes of searching, she gives up and one assumes she later found her Corton-Charlemagne down the back of the sofa. This is a reliable source of quality wines from Chorey-les-Beaune. Occasionally I feel that the level of new oak can be a little too conspicuous. There certainly lend the wines a modern sheen, if not modern to their core. The aromas and flavors at this address might be described as “strident” and some might argue that they lack subtlety. Nathalie feels that the wood just needs time to fully integrate and having tasted mature examples of her wines I can understand her point. The nuance here develops in bottle as those tannins melt away, so do not be afraid to allow them to age. Chorey-les-Beaune and Aloxe-Corton are two appellations that did relatively well in 2012, two that continue to offer great value for money. I would include Tollot-Beaut’s consistent wines within that category. Importer: Importer: Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines (NY) tel. 1 707 738 22 55 (Jonathan Nahrgang). Also available through several merchants in the UK included Justerini & Brooks, Berry Brothers & Rudd and Howard Ripley.