Domaine Naudin-Ferrand - Ladoix 1er Cru La Corvée 2024
In Magny-lès-Villers, between Nuits-Saint-Georges and Beaune, Domaine Naudin-Ferrand holds a unique place in contemporary Burgundy. Claire Naudin pursues a demanding, free, and deeply personal path here, with wines that reject standardization while maintaining great precision of expression. The estate works about 22 hectares, mainly in regional appellations of the Hautes-Côtes, but also some beautiful village terroirs, premiers crus, and grand cru. This diversity allows a very fine approach to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, from the most immediate cuvées to the noblest expressions of the Côte. Ladoix 1er Cru La Corvée belongs to this second family, that of hillside wines, more structured, deeper, capable of aging. Located in Buisson, a hamlet of Ladoix, this parcel offers a generous yet refined face of the Côte de Beaune. The 2024 vintage, rarer and more selective, further enhances the interest of this cuvée, with an expression that should favor fruit precision, grain freshness, and terroir expression.
This cuvée comes from Pinot Noir planted on a well-drained clay-limestone hillside, with moderate slope and south-facing exposure. The parcel has naturally homogeneous maturity, sometimes generous, which gives the wine a broader base than the fresher expressions of the Hautes-Côtes. The vines were planted two-thirds in 1955, from massal selections, and the rest in 1987, with fine clones. This combination of old vines, sunny exposure, and limestone soil explains the character of La Corvée, both ripe, structured, and nuanced. The vinification follows the spirit of the estate's Nature cuvées, with whole cluster harvest, no initial addition of sulfites, CO2 inerting, natural fermentations, and measured extraction. Aging on very fine lees in barrels brings depth and a discreet patina, without seeking to dominate the fruit. In the 2024 vintage, this structure should produce a Ladoix Premier Cru with a taut yet fleshy style, supported by controlled maturity and real aging potential.
The color presents as a deep but luminous red, with ruby reflections that recall the finesse of Pinot Noir despite the density of the site. The nose evokes fresh black fruits, ripe cherry, dark raspberry, and violet, then opens to notes of sweet spices, fine earth, light licorice, and discreet wood. On the palate, the wine has a beautiful presence, with dense, suave matter, but never heavy. The tannins are firm in their youth, yet their grain remains precise, supported by freshness that gives length to the whole. The finish prolongs the black fruits, spices, and a limestone sensation that elegantly tightens the wine. This Ladoix 1er Cru will pair remarkably with roast venison, pink-cooked pigeon, a fine aged Charolais cut, poultry with morels, veal fillet with mushrooms, or an Époisses cheese. Served around 16 to 18°C, after aeration of one to two hours in its youth, it will gain harmony and better reveal the depth of this beautiful terroir of La Corvée.
Grape variety: Pinot Noir