Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Incredible intensity of wild herb aromas. Astonishing depth for this underrated appellation. Very ripe lime fruit that is underlined by fine tannins on the medium-bodied palate. Excellent harmony through the long, gentle finish. From west-facing, high-altitude vineyards that need to be late-picked because of the cool-climate location, but are among the winners of climate change.
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Jasper Morris
Champy own 3 hectares, mainly in the west-facing Combottes sector. Fresh lemon and lime with some racy qualities. Very typical of Pernand, white fruit, with some complexity. Adequate but not excessive body and a racy finish, which persists well. 13% alcohol.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
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.