Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru “Île des Vergelesses” rouge 2017

The Pinot Noir comes from the 9.41 hectare Premier Cru site Île de Vergelesses in Pernand-Vergelesses. The site is framed by Savigny's Les Vergelesses as well as Pernand's Les Vergelesses. The quality of the terroir is higher than that of all the other Premier Cru sites in the village and is actually at Grand Cru level. The terroir of Pernand-Vergelesses, similar to that at Corton Hill, is characterized by siliceous and calcareous red marl that has a high iron content. The domaine has 13.31 hectares of average 40-year-old vines, some of them even 80-year-old vines, facing east.

Violet Red

The Pinot Noir from the core vineyard Île de Vergelesses initially shows quite red berries in the 2017 vintage. Currants play the first violin at the beginning, first red, then increasingly more black and also a few cherries. The wine appears spicy with a slight woody influence and is still shy overall.

On the palate, the Île de Vergelesses is clearly warmer than in the still quite cool nose. It is mainly cherries and also a few notes of wild berries that provide juiciness. The fruit is round and warm, and so is the almost flattering tannin. The acidity is quite restrained in this wine. More present is the underlying minerality that carries through to the long, warm-fruited finish. The Île de Vergelesses, which, like almost all wines at Chandon de Briailles, is sulphured to a small extent, is clearly different from its unsulphured counterpart. The latter already invites to drink, this wine should still mature a little.