The Ravaut family runs a decidedly old-school Burgundy domaine. Their tasting room is a corner of their cellar, hung with maps and photos of past generations. They produce a dozen wines – red and white, from Bourgogne to Grand Cru. They greet everyone – from top critics to visiting tourists wandering by – with the same welcoming smile. Their wines aren’t showy or pretentious, but they’re consistent, delicious and seriously well-priced.
One of the good things about a year with extraordinary yields is that the wine doesn’t disappear quite as fast as usual. When we visited the Ravauts this March, we were able to taste some 2023s along with the 2024s, and for this offering we have a happy choice among vintages. This offer mixes in some of each.

First their entry-level Côte de Nuits-Villages from 2024, which we wrote about last Sunday. This cuvée comes from vines just over the border into the Côte de Nuits, but its identity is clearly of the north. The fruits are dark and woodsy – think wild blackberries, cassis, plums – with beautiful earthy notes of forest floor, black pepper and spice. This wine develops nicely over several years, but it’s delicious from the start. At $32/bot it has to be among the best Red Burgundy values in our cellar, and one we’re excited to restock.
In red, Ravaut’s Ladoix Premier Cru “Bois Roussot” almost always makes it onto our list of picks, and we found it particularly attractive in the 2024 vintage. Perhaps it’s their shift to organic viticulture, but this wine seems to come with an extra dose of personality. The nose is very expressive, pumping out ripe fruit aromas from the time it is poured into the glass. It’s pleasantly mouthfilling, with very good persistence across the palate. We expect it to drink well quite soon after it arrives and for many years thereafter.
The red premier cru “La Corvée” is in the Côte de Beaune, but lies along the Côtes de Nuits and shows some of its character. This one is still available in 2023, and is quite drinkable already, offering a pleasant mix of dark currant fruit and a gentle touch of oak. With a year under its belt, its elements have begun to come together and the mouthfeel is rounding out nicely.

The ferruginous soils of Aloxe-Corton give it a unique aging profile that generally demands more time, whether the wine is village or premier cru. We recently discovered a small cache of Ravaut’s Aloxe-Corton 2010 at the back of our cellar and found it just strikingly good, with the iron adding an earthy complexity that blends beautifully with its fruit and bouquet. The 2024 vintage shows the same possibility of superb evolution. It comes with an unusual plus: there was so little yield in 2024 that the Ravauts blended the village and premier crus into a single cuvée. The result must bear a village label by appellation rules, but those premier cru grapes will add something. The nose is very complex, with a floral note complementing the fruit. Not that this Aloxe will be ready to drink right away, but our experience with the 2010 inspires us to patience.
The Hill of Corton has the only red Grand Cru in the Côte de Beaune, and the vineyard of Corton-Bressandes, where the Ravauts have a notable holding, is generally regarded as the finest. These wines are dark and brooding when young, and it takes a while for them to show their character. The large volume of 2023 produced a dividend in the Ravaut’s Bressandes: its slightly lighter weight will make the wine accessible young despite its inherent richness. We found an attractive juicy side to the wine in March, and we heartily recommend it.
As for Grand Cru white Burgundy, the Montrachet complex in the Côte de Beaune gets most of the attention. Le Montrachet and its adjacent satellites Bâtard, Chevalier, and Criots Bâtard are unique and deserve their universal praise. But the only other Grand Cru white in the Côte d’Or also comes from the Hill of Corton. Corton-Charlemagne is every bit a Grand Cru white, and the Ravauts produce an elegant one. The 2024 vintage was an exceptional one many corners of the white Burgundy world, and this one is no exception. As befits a grand cru, the Corton Charlemagne 2024 is raised in 100% new oak, albeit in larger 400 liter barrels. There is all the intensity and concentration of a grand cru, and it easily handles its oak. There’s excellent richness, beautiful fruit, and just the right bit of toast. Impressive wine.

During our March visit we shared our story about the 2010 Aloxe with the Ravauts. Vincent disappeared into the back of his cellars and returned with a bottle of Aloxe premier cru from the 2018 vintage. It was extraordinary wine, making in spades the point about the benefits of age in this appellation. Not only were all its elements bien fondu, the wine was smooth as silk in the mouth and lingered beautifully on the palate. Of course we immediately asked if we could buy some to bring to our clients. There isn’t much left, but ultimately we able to beg a tiny number of bottles, and we’ll share them with the first of you who are interested at $100 per bottle. We’ll set the bottle limit per buyer when we know the extent of interest.
*wines with an asterisk available by the quarter case