Tuesday, January 13, 2009

2002 Aloxe-Corton, Domaine Gaston & Pierre Ravaut

There is a pretty serious void in the world of kosher Pinot Noir. I have tried most of the Israeli wines like Yarden and Gamla, as well as the new Russian River Pinot from Baron Herzog. I have also tried two vintages of Francois Labet's Chateau de La Tour Clos Vougeot. I found the former new world wines too sweet and fruity, and the latter to be overpriced for what you get. The domaine mainly makes non-Kosher wine but seemed to have made a Kosher cuvee in the 2002 vintage.

This wine is enjoyable; nice flavors of plum and cherry, along with burnt sugar and orange peel. Enough earthiness and slight minerality to make you believe it is from France. The color has a tinge of brick, which can be expected from a seven year old village wine. Even after five days open in the bottle, this wine still had some fruit left and was palatable. I would say drink now and for the next 7 years. Went well with lamp shanks from the slow cooker.

Drawback: this wine is pricey, with wholesale in the mid $50s. Then again, the next tier of kosher Burgundy takes you into the triple digits. The Domaine also makes another pinot from the Ladoix appellation which is half the price, and which I have not yet tried. Bottom line: as far as I know, this is the best QPR for Kosher Burgundy, if those terms can be in the same sentence. Other option: buy and try some of the really old Yarden Pinots and see if they are any good.

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