Aloxe-Corton
A small village under the hill of Corton, where Charlemagne once gave away his vines.
- Wine village
- 8 min from Beaune
- Red and white wines
- 3 grands crus
€290for a half-day wine tour from Beaune, up to 4 guests
At a glance
- Appellations
- Aloxe-Corton
- Grapes
- Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
- Premiers crus
- 14
- Name since
- 1862
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 8 min by road (5 km), €60 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About Aloxe-Corton
Aloxe-Corton, pronounced Alosse, is a small village at the foot of the hill of Corton. Around it grow two of the most famous grand crus of Burgundy, red Corton and white Corton-Charlemagne. The village appellation, almost entirely red, gives firm and generous wines. It is one of the shortest drives from Beaune.
The wines
The Aloxe-Corton appellation has 14 premier cru climats, shared with Ladoix-Serrigny. Between 200 and 300 metres the soils are reddish-brown, with flinty stones and limestone debris. Stony plots give supple, refined reds; clay and marl give firmer, more complex ones. The wine is almost all red Pinot Noir: deep ruby, red and black fruit when young, then leather, truffle and spice after three to five years. White Chardonnay is very rare under the village name.
History
The hill of Corton has been prized for well over a thousand years. In 775 the emperor Charlemagne gave vines here to the collegiate church of Saint-Andoche in Saulieu, which kept them for about a thousand years. His name lives on in the climats Le Charlemagne, in Aloxe-Corton, and En Charlemagne, in Pernand-Vergelesses. Both are at the heart of the white grand cru Corton-Charlemagne, recognised with red Corton on 31 July 1937.
The village added the name of its famous hill by imperial decree on 22 March 1862 and became Aloxe-Corton. Its own village appellation followed in 1938. The parish church of Saint-Médard was built around 1890 to plans by the Mâcon architect Adrien Pinchard, replacing an old chapel that had become too small. The tourist office calls Aloxe the village of three châteaux; all three are privately owned.
All the grands crusCorton · Corton-Charlemagne · Charlemagne
Well-known premiers crusLes Vercots · Les Fournières · Les Valozières · Les Maréchaudes · Les Chaillots · Les Paulands
What to see
The hill of Corton
A rounded hill crowned with woods, with vines between 250 and 330 metres facing east, south and west. The Burgundy wine board describes this amphitheatre of vines as unique on the Côte.
Les Perrières
At the foot of the hill, two climats called Les Perrières mark former stone quarries. They still appear on 18th-century road maps and were probably planted with vines around the Revolution.
Église Saint-Médard
The village church, built around 1890 to plans by Adrien Pinchard, has a square bell tower with an octagonal slate spire. It replaced a much older chapel that had become too small.
Cabottes in the vines
Look out for cabottes, the dry-stone huts where winegrowers sheltered from storms and kept their tools. In Aloxe-Corton some are semi-circular and built against walls or heaps of stones.
Tips for your visit
Aloxe-Corton is small, so 30 to 45 minutes is enough. Combine it with Ladoix-Serrigny and Pernand-Vergelesses for a loop around the hill of Corton. Walkers can climb from Pernand for the best views.
Around here
What to combine with Aloxe-Corton on the same day, nearest first.
Questions
Aloxe-Corton is about 8 min from Beaune by road (5 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €60 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? Red Corton may add the name of its climat to the label, for example Corton Les Bressandes or Corton Le Clos du Roi. The grand cru counts 25 of these named climats.
Sources
Aloxe-Corton with a private driver
Half-day wine tour from Beaune: €290 for the car, up to 4 guests