Rapet’s Superb 2014 Red & White from Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Crus

$55 Pernand-Vergelesses “Ile de Vergelesses” (Premier Cru 2014) Red
$50 Pernand-Vergelesses “Sous Frétille” (Premier Cru 2014) White

One of the many highlights of the Burgundy tasting we held a couple weeks ago were the wines of Vincent Rapet. Drinking particularly well were both Premier Crus from the commune of Pernand-Vergelesses. We decided to revisit these two particular wines forthis Saturday’s tasting and focus specifically on the great work that Vincent is doing in his corner of the Côte de Beaune.

Domaine Rapet is one of the leading domaines in the region with over 50 superb acres of vines in the villages of Pernand-Vergelesses, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Aloxe-Corton and Beaune. Production is split roughly 50/50 between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Although Vincent and his wife Sylvette produce a full range of wines, from Village to Grand Cru, they all express the sites that they come from and Vincent’s dedication to every detail of the winemaking process – from meticulous work in the vineyards to minimal intervention in the cellars.

Ile de Vergelesses is a climat situated on a limestone slope directly across from the hill of Corton where all of the Grand Crus in the northern part of the Côte de Beaune are located. Pinot Noir vines over 50 years old are hand-harvested and hand-sorted before aging in oak barrels (20% new). The resulting wine is both rich and elegant with heady aromas and sufficient structure to develop over the next decade or longer.

The Chardonnay vines of the Sous Frétille climat grow on steep slopes above the hill of Corton and the village of Pernand-Vergelesses. Poor, thin soils over white marl and limestone produce wines of finesse and minerality. Aging occurs in barrel (30% new) for 12 months with stirring on the lees for the majority of the process. Properly stored, this wine will be drinking at its peak in five or six years, with developed aromatics of toasted almonds and flint.

New Vintage Wines Also Available from Domaine Rapet

$38 Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru “Aux Fournaux” (Premier Cru 2014) Red
$46 Beaune “Clos du Roi” (Premier Cru 2014) Red
$50 Beaune “Grèves” (Premier Cru 2014) Red
$84 Corton (Grand Cru 2014) Red
$84 Corton-Pougeots (Grand Cru 2013) Red
$187 Corton (Grand Cru 2014 Magnum) Red

$119 Corton-Charlemagne (Grand Cru 2014) White
$263 Corton-Charlemagne (Grand Cru 2014 Magnum) White

 
If you’re interested in how these wines develop over time we also have a small selection of Rapet wines from older vintages that have been stored with us since release.

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Posted on 2016.06.22 in France, Saturday Sips Wines, Burgundy