2009 Pascal Marchand Corton

Pascal Marchand is a French-Canadian who arrived in Burgundy in 1983 to work the harvest at Domaine Bruno Clair. A big personality with apparently limitless energy, he quickly developed a talent for working with Pinot Noir. He became winemaker at Comte Armand’s Clos des Epeneaux and Domaine de la Vougeraie and was a consulting winemaker at Thomas-Moillard and numerous wineries around the world before starting his own negociant business in 2006. Marchand calls his maison a “micro-negoce,” reflecting his desire to remain a small, highly individualistic negociant. Since Thomas-Moillard closed down Marchand has acquired many of that domaine’s buildings and he is now making his wine on the site. Marchand makes both reds and whites, and his wines earn compliments and scores in the mid-90s. He produces Grand Crus including Corton, Gevrey-Chambertin, Batard Montrachet, Meursault, Clos de la Roche, Mazis-Chambertin, Latricieres-Chambertin, Echezeaux and Vosne-Romanee. He also produces Premier Crus and village wines.

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.