Ladoix 1er Cru Les Grechons 2024 Maison Gautheron d'Anost

Les Grechons 2024, 1er Cru, a dry white wine from Ladoix in the Côte de Beaune, made by Maison Gautheron d'Anost, from the Chardonnay grape. Only two barrels were used. This represents the entire production, and since one of them was a new barrel, the wine exhibits only a subtle hint of oak, it is not overly assertive.

With an alcohol content of 12.5%, this wine has a medium body and presents a restrained style at first. It gradually gains intensity toward the finish; the fact that its character does not reveal itself immediately is a hallmark of winemaker Bastien's.

2024 was a rainy year throughout the Burgundy region. The rain began in mid-October 2023 and hardly let up until harvest time. The Hill district in Corton, located very close to Ladoix, suffered the most damage. However, the Premier Cru plot, located midway up a slope like Les Grechons, had good drainage even as the village's flat land turned into a swamp, and Chardonnay bloomed under better conditions than Pinot Noir. Yield losses for the white grape variety Côte de Beaune were limited to 10-20 percent; while this was a blow, it was nothing compared to the losses suffered by the red grape varieties.

The harvest for the entire region began around the 12th for September and concluded by the 24th. Subtle alcohol notes, vibrant acidity, and fresh fruit aromas. These are the words that best describe 2024 in a nutshell, and this bottle fits that description perfectly.