More rustic than the seamless Ile de Vergelesses, the 2019 Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Valozières exhibits aromas of raw cocoa, red berries, loamy soil and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, supple and powdery, with lively acids and chalky back-end grip, it will demand at least a modicum of patience.

The 2018 Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Valozières has really rounded out since I tasted it from barrel, offering up notions of sweet berry fruit, cassis, rich soil tones and spices. Medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, from a blocky beginning, this has evolved into something rather charming and elegant by the standards of the site.

The 2017 Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Valozières displays a spicy, earthy bouquet of forest floor and berries, followed by a medium-bodied, open-knit but chewy palate. It isn't as tight-knit and forbidding as Aloxe-Corton can be, but it isn't the fleshiest or most concentrated wine in the cellar either.

The 2016 Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Les Valozières was showing very well, exhibiting notes of sweet red berries, cassis, orange rind, grilled squab and chocolate. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and velvety, with juicy acids and an unusually supple, even seductive profile for the appellation. This has fleshed out considerably since I tasted it from barrel and it's now decidedly impressive.