Pernand Vergelesses and Domaine Pierre Maray et Fils

The next morning we drove back to the village, even more lovely in the daylight, and up the hill through the narrow streets past picturesque houses and several Domaines and tasting rooms. Before doing any tasting we drove past town, even further up the hill, and to a point advertised as "Panorama," a site at the very top of the hill overlooking the whole valley. Still morning, this was shrouded in fog, and it was far too scary to even get out of the car. We returned in the evening though, and on the left you can see the view (with monument).

Neither of us knew much about the producers or the wines of Pernand Vergelesses (view of part of the Grand Cru Corton Charlemagne vineyard on the left), so we decided to go to the Domaine Pierre Maray et Fils - why not right? Last night's wine sure was good. Let's see what else they have to offer. They do not have a website and the wines are not available in the US, but here are (another one from the Panorama on the right) some tasting notes, and Pierre's son (Eric, if I remember correctly) believes in tasting red wines first -he says that the whites are easier to taste so they should come last. At least that's what I think he said, but he spoke no English and my French is dodgy at best:

Reds

2004 Pernand Vergelesses, $11. Straight forward smells of red fruit, simple and enjoyable wine. A bit tannic - might be better chilled.

2003 Pernand Vergelesses Les Belles Filles, $13. Surprisingly dark in color, with fresh smells of violets and earth. Sweet and sappy dark fruit, but with a light feeling and a pretty floral finish. A great value at this price and drinking well right now, this is one of 3 bottles that I brought home from France.

2005 Pernand Vergelesses 1er Cru Les Fichots, $20. Lighter in color, with reserved red fruit smells and flavors. Way too young to really tell what's going on here, but the wine seems well balanced in that I can make out some fruit, some acidity, and some earthiness amid the green tannins.

2005 Corton Grand Cru, $40. Darker again, with rich musky smells. Some blackfruit on the palate, but too tightly coiled to tell what's going on. Seems promising based on the interesting animal smells.

Whites

2005 Pernand Vergelesses, $14. Some citrus on the nose, and some wood. Nice flavors of stone fruits and citrus and a rich texture without being heavy. (View of part of Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru vineyards below)

2005 Pernand Vergelesses 1er Cru Sous Fretille, $20. Stronger smells, citrus and some fruit. Good acidity and young ripe fruit, some fat on the sides of the tongue. Richer in texture, this seems like it will become an excellent wine.

2004 Pernand Vergelesses 1er Cru Sous Fretille, $20. Interesting to compare to the 05. A more expressive nose with some flowers and some fruit. Lighter mouthfeel with young but vibrant stone fruit flavors and clean acidity. Very impressive. A more delicate profile than the 05, but it had an extra year of development.

2005 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, $48. Very reserved nose, more stones than anything else. Some hints of bright fruit but very young and tight flavors. At this point I am probably too inexperienced with white Burgundy wines to have picked out the flavors of the young Corton Charlemagne. I improved over the next several days though.

If you are interested in trying to find wines from Pernand Vergelesses, any shop that carries a good Burgundy selection should have something. Problem is, it might be Grand Cru Corton Charlemagne, or something like that, and quite pricey. Village level wine from Pernand Vergelesses represents great value. Your best bet might be to look for the wines of Domaine Rapet Pere et Fils- reasonably priced and available.