2022 Pernand Vergelesses Ile de Vergelesse

Always the insider's choice at this address, the 2022 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Ile de Vergelesses unwinds in the glass with aromas of sweet cherries and plums mingled with rose petals and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, ample and velvety, with a fleshy core of fruit that nicely cloaks its fine but chalky structuring tannins, it exhibits excellent potential.

According to Claude de Nicolay, the east-facing slopes of Ile des Vergelesses provide a marvellous terroir for Pinot Noir. She has 2.80 hectares in Pinot and 1.20 ha in Chardonnay. Her favourite block is the hectare of vines planted in the 1960s. This old-vine massale selection vine material is the jewel and has given a forward, supple wine with aromas of black cherry and plum. The texture is lithe and easy, yet there is enough tannin on the finish to convince us to age it — a delight.