2009 Pierre Andre au Chateau de Corton Andre Corton Les Bressandes

Pierre André is a Burgundy negociant and estate with a long history. It was founded in 1923 by Pierre André, then a 28-year-old with a fledgling Paris-based wine trading company. In 1927 André acquired an estate in Aloxe-Corton and started what would become his life-long passion for the wines of Burgundy. An expert marketer at a time when few saw the point of marketing, André in the 1960s opened a restaurant in Paris to promote his wines. He was soon selling them internationally. Today the company is a combination domaine and negociant and owns about 125 vineyard acres. It also sources grapes from growers in more than 80 appellations. Since 2014 Pierre André has been owned by the negociant Bejot Vins et Terroirs. Pierre André produces a large portfolio of red and white Burgundy from dozens of appellations.

Corton is a Grand Cru vineyard for red wine within the Corton appellation. It is a long, slender, stony limestone site that wraps part way around the top slopes of Montagne de Corton, a hill that reaches to 1,150 feet. The 234-acre vineyard primarily faces south, west and east, and is sheltered by a windbreak of trees while also receiving excellent exposure to sun. Corton is the Cote de Beaune’s only red Grand Cru. The largest producers are Louis Latour, with 37.5 acres; Hospices de Beaune, with 16 acres; and D'Ardhuy, with 11.85 acres. The names of smaller vineyards within Corton are frequently added to the names of Corton wines, resulting in names such as Corton Les Renardes, Corton Les Chaumes, Corton les Perrieres, etc.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.