Pernard-Vergelesses - 1er Cru ‘Les Vergelesses’ AOC

This is the estate’s soul wine — and the 2020 vintage gives it muscle without drowning its nuance.
Colour is deep ruby with a garnet core, darker than a “classic Burgundy look” because the vintage delivered thicker skins and more phenolic ripeness.

The nose is savoury before it’s pretty: wild cherry, redcurrant, cranberry, crushed blackberry, and raw beetroot earthiness. Then come violets, crushed thyme, iron-tinged minerality and a touch of clove/pepper. No flashy oak — Chandon de Briailles barely lets wood speak above a whisper.

On the palate, the wine is tightly structured: high-toned red fruit, salinity, chalky grip and fine yet assertive tannins. There’s tension — not a plush 2020 smoothie. The mid-palate is firm, slightly stern today, but clearly built for evolution. Finish is long, mineral, savoury, and promising. This is Burgundy for people who like structure first, charm second.

In short: savoury, mineral, serious… needs time. Think “Corton attitude at a saner price.”

Why the Year Matters (2020 Impact)

• 2020 was hot, early, and drought-affected, but not cooked; smart domaines picked early and preserved acidity.

• Pernand-Vergelesses sits at a cooler, wind-exposed amphitheatre at the base of Corton hill, so instead of jammy fruit, you get tension and salinity even in hot years.

• Thin soils = low vigour + concentration, and in dry vintages that amplifies structure.

• The risk in 2020 was “too ripe, too easy.” This site did the opposite: it turned heat into salty density and rigid tannin rather than fat fruit.

Blind spot most miss: 2020 is approachable in many Côte de Beaune wines… but not here. ‘Les Vergelesses’ is built for patience.

Drinking Window

• Open from: 2026

• Best between: 2028–2040

• Peak potential: 2032+

• Do not open now if you expect charm. You’ll get structure and minerality with fruit hiding in the wings.