Winemaker Notes
A classic rendering of a truly underappreciated red Burgundy appellation, Rollin's Pernand-Vergelesses Rouge comes primarily from two old-vines parcels: one in the lieu-dit of Les Pins in the northern part of the village, and the other in Les Noirets on the southern side, both of which face eastward. Compared to their better-known brethren in Savigny-les-Beaune, the red wines of Pernand-Vergelesses tend to be more firmly mineral, more savory, and more finely wrought.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very bright red cherry nose with hints of summer flower aromas. Vibrant and focused on the sleek, barely medium-bodied palate, with excellent mineral freshness at the long, extremely fresh finish. Sustainable. Drink or hold.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Occupying the most northerly combe (the French term for a valley that cuts through a hillside) of the Côte de Beaune, Pernand-Vergelles sits to the west of and behind the hill of Corton. The most sought after whites of the village come from the slope of Pernand on the side of Corton where Pernand-Vergelles shares the Grand Cru Corton-Charlemagne with Aloxe-Corton. The best red producing Cru is Les Vergelles, which overlaps into Savigny-les-Beaune. Reds here are fleshy, seductive and structured while whites are both lively and age worthy.