Pernand Vergelesses 1^er Cru - Ile des Vergelesses

GRAPE VARIETY

Pinot Noir

VINEYARD

This terroir is situated in the middle of the Vergelesses hillside slope and composed of very pebbly, shallow clay-limestone. Beneath it, a very brittle bed-rock offers innumerable spaces to be explored by the vine roots. This gently sloped parcel faces east and was planted in 1946 (two-thirds) and 1989 (one third)

VINIFICATION AND AGEING

Harvesting is entirely by hand. The grapes are transported in small crates then carefully sorted on arrival at the vat-house. Thereafter, they are totally destemmed and gravity-fed to vat, to maintain their integrity. After a pre-fermentation maceration for 5 to 6 days at 10°C, alcoholic fermentation starts off naturally at regulated temperature. During this period, daily tasting allows the operations of punching down and pumping over to be adjusted to the specificities of the vintage. After two to three weeks in vat the wines are housed in oak barrels (of which 30% new oak) for a period of 12 to 14 months. In barrel, malolactic fermentation occurs naturally in spring. After racking, wines are assembled in vat, until bottling by us during the following winter, without fining or filtering.

TASTE PROFILE

This wine possesses both the elegance and the power that characterize the greatest Burgundy red wines. The nose is rather floral, elegant and intense. Its dense, fine and harmonious palate rests on a particularly silky tannic thread. This ‘grand’ Premier Cru deserves to be waited for over three to five years in bottle to see it fully express all its character.

GASTRONOMIC HARMONY

Through its elegance, it goes very well with wildfowl, very fine red meats or also a simply fried magret de canard duck breast fillet.