2013 Corton Clos-du-Roi Grand Cru

Chandon de Briailles was hard-hit by hail in 2013, with 80% of the estate's parcels affected and production limited to just 50 barrels, as compared to a normal 200. "Only the grand crus were untouched by hail," said Claude de Nicolay, "and their yields were almost normal at around 25 hectoliters per hectare." But production in Savigny-lès-Beaune and Pernand was closer to 10 hectoliters per hectare, she added. "The skins were thick and we knew we had enough tannins, so we did a very gentle extraction and more destemming than usual," said Claude, who runs this domain with her brother François. Acidity levels were relatively high in 2013, according to Claude, and the cellar was being heated in November to finish the last of the malolactic fermentations. The samples I tasted were from barrels that had completed their malos, some of them recently.