Corton is the largest (and only) red Grand Cru vineyard of the Côte de Beaune. 160 hectares wrap around this giant hill with orientations facing every direction except north. Edmond Cornu's half a hectare represents the massive slope in its most micro scale. Cornu is the ultimate foil for this Grand Cru more often associated with brawn and fruit-forward power than with soulful, earth-inflected elegance.

Within the more than two dozen named parcels of Grand Cru Corton, it's Corton-Bressandes whose southeast-facing, mid-slope placement is the sweet spot.Receiving ideal sun exposure and drainage are the key factors in setting Bressandes apart from the other 143 hectares of varying quality. Cornu has long been a favorite of Burgundy purists for their understated style coming from villages like Savigny, Chorey, Ladoix, and Aloxe. But, Corton-Bressandes is undoubtedly the magnum opus of the domaine.

Cornu's .5 hectare slice of Bressandes walks that pristine line between ripe, luscious fruit and that backbone of mineral structure that's an essential element in grand cru age-ability. The two wines offered today show the signature style of Cornu perfectly, illustrating terroir in the context of very different vintages. Cornu's Corton-Bressandes is 100% de-stemmed and aged in 30% new wood.

Working in Burgundy in 2012, the growing season saw just about every climatic event possible. In the end, the wines show a great deal of concentration, dark fruit, and supple tannins. They also will clearly be wines to revisit over and over again through their long aging curve.

On the other hand, 2008 was defined by its cooler growing season and ultra-classic proportions. The wines veer more toward the red fruit spectrum and showcase a delicacy and site-specificity that's uncommon as we've become more accustomed to the warming temperatures though the last decades. 

Each year importer Neal Rosenthal imports less than 400 bottles of Corton-Bressandes to the US. While Cornu's Bourgogne Rouge has been a house Burgundy of mine for many years, the Grand Cru is obviously reserved for special occasions, as well as dark corners of the cellar. 

2008 Edmond Cornu Corton Bressandes
$97 per bottle.

2012 Edmond Cornu Corton Bressandes
$112 per bottle.

Also available:

2015 Edmond Cornu Bourgogne Rouge Les Barrigards
$26 per bottle.