Earthy yet silky-smooth, the Ladoix offers dark fruit complemented by the scent of rose petals, the heat of spice, and a handful of fresh-cut herbs. Sitting in the shadow of its more famous neighbor, Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix is virtually unknown, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t great; it is--it's just not expensive. One of IWM’s favorite bottlings, the ’13 Ladoix is especially intense, concentrated and structured.
- Country: France
- Region: Burgundy
Burgundy is filled with iconoclastic winemakers, but few rival François Gay for sheer intractability, taciturnity and artistry. Gay’s seven-hectare estate in the Côte de Beaune produces fewer than 2,500 cases a year, and because he sells the moiety of his wine to friends, family and restaurants, only about 200 cases of Gay’s terroir-driven Burgundies make it outside of France. Gay has been called the Henri Jayer of the Beaune, and his Chorey has the complexity of Chambolle; his Ladoix sings like a Gevrey; his Aloxe rivals the complexity of Grand Cru Cortons; and his Corton Renards Vieilles Vignes will hold its own against the greatest Cortons. Gay’s relative obscurity has its silver lining, and that is his wines’ price points are very reasonable; IWM is one of only two or three retailers to offer the cult Burgundies of Francois Gay.
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