The 2020 Jean-Claude Boisset Corton Renardes Grand Cru is a powerful expression of the legendary Hill of Corton, crafted at the state-of-the-art “Les Ursulines” winery in Nuits-Saint-Georges. While Jean-Claude Boisset founded his namesake house in 1961, the 2002 appointment of winemaker Grégory Patriat marked a transformative shift toward a “vine-to-bottle” philosophy. Patriat eliminated large-scale blending in favor of a boutique, négociant-éleveur model that emphasizes single-plot precision and minimal intervention. Sourced from the “Les Renardes” climat—a vineyard famed since the 14th century for its rugged, iron-rich limestone soils—this wine is produced using non-sulfur vinification and 100% whole-cluster fermentation. The result is a Pinot Noir that balances the primal, muscular structure of Corton with a refined, contemporary elegance that has become the hallmark of the modern Boisset era.

The 2020 growing season was a historic “solar” vintage, defined by intense heat and the earliest harvest in the region’s recorded history. Following a mild winter and a warm spring that led to an early bud break, the vines faced a scorching, dry summer. These conditions naturally limited yields, producing small, concentrated berries with thick skins and deep phenolic ripeness. To preserve the essential acidity and “mineral nerve” of the Renardes terroir, Patriat began harvesting in late August. Despite the warm conditions, the 2020 vintage avoided heavy alcohol levels, instead offering a crystalline purity and a vibrant, “fresh-fruit” character. This rare combination of high concentration and bright tension suggests that the 2020 Corton Renardes is a vintage of immense structural integrity, built for decades of evolution in the cellar.