Bright ruby red with garnet reflections, typical of a young Grand Cru Pinot Noir.
Nose
Floral notes of violet and rose, accompanied by red berry fruits such as cherry and raspberry, underpinned by subtle earthy and spicy nuances.
Palate
Fine-grained structure with silky tannins, precise fruit and a mineral depth that requires no oak dominance.
Character
An elegant, restrained Burgundy with ageing potential for decades, showcasing the finesse of the Corton terroir in its purest form.
Pairing
Pairs beautifully with roasted duck breast, mushroom dishes such as porcini risotto or ripe soft cheese.
Notes
Demeter-certified and biodynamically produced, vineyards ploughed by horse and bottled with minimal sulphur; whole-bunch fermentation and maturation in a 12th-century Cistercian cellar.
Tasting note
Character
A Grand Cru of quiet authority: profound, finely structured, without any heaviness. The 2021 displays the cool elegance of the vintage – red berry fruit, floral hints, silky tannins and a mineral tension that carries the wine for minutes. At just 12.5% ABV, this is an old-school Burgundy: power through finesse, not concentration. A wine that deserves time in the glass and can age for decades.
Terroir & Origin
The Clos du Roi ranks among the most historically significant climats on the Corton hill – that distinctive rise above Aloxe-Corton, whose Grand Cru parcels have been counted among the most celebrated vineyard sites for Pinot Noir in Burgundy for centuries. Alongside Bressandes and Maréchaudes, Chandon de Briailles holds a share of this legendary terroir here. The estate in Savigny-lès-Beaune has been run by the de Nicolay family since 1834; today, siblings François and Claude farm its nearly 14 hectares entirely with horses – the only estate in Burgundy to do so – as Diva, Epi, Farandole and Gipsy plough the vine rows.
Grape Variety & Vinification
Pinot Noir in its most authentic expression: Demeter-certified and biodynamically farmed since 2005, fermented with whole bunches – a technique that lends the wine structure and spicy depth. Maturation is restrained: a maximum of 15 to 20 per cent new wood, 14 to 20 months in cask, no fining, no filtration. Claude de Nicolay, cellar master since 1988, vinifies in a 12th-century cellar built by Cistercian monks from the Abbey of Cîteaux. François de Nicolay describes the result as “neo-classical”: precise fruit, silky texture, built to last.
Food Pairings
The fine structure and cool fruit of the 2021 call for dishes of similar nobility: partridge with truffle jus, duck breast with red berries or, classically, Bœuf bourguignon. It also reveals its earthy side alongside wild mushrooms – such as porcini risotto. Those who open it young should decant; those with patience will be rewarded with one of the great Burgundies of the coming decade.
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