The tiny village of Pernand-Vergelesses rests at the west-facing slope of the famed hill of Corton’s base. Nestled at the confluence of three separate valleys, the vines, rooted in limestone and clay soils, are protected from harsher elements and enjoy a microclimate that is a touch cooler than the surrounding villages. Pavelot’s three Premier Cru vineyards used for this bottling, Les Vergelesse, En Caradeux and Les Pichots, are merely a stone’s throw below the lauded Grand Cru of Corton-Charlemagne and offer serious terroir for the money. While the July 2013 hailstorm wreaked havoc on over 50% of these special parcels’ vines, the remaining clusters left when the sun began to shine once more resulted in fruit of unparalleled concentration and a sense of place that is simply without equal. Every ounce of energy left in the vines was poured into a fraction of the fruit it was accustomed to. Although yields were too low to bottle these Premier Cru parcels as single-vineyard wines, the producer made do with a cuvée of the three sites and the culmination is sheer magic. The production of these sites usually results in roughly 5700 bottles and the 2013 vintage was only able to deliver 2800, but what Domaine Pavelot lost in quantity they more than made up for in profound quality. In short, this bottle is truly something special and is an expression of Pernand-Vergelesses you will not experience again.

 

The historic Pavelot family may have sown their roots in Burgundy back in the 17th century, but it is the brother-sister duo, Luc and Lise Pavelot, that has sprouted a serious, dedicated following amongst their local colleagues since taking over in the early 90’s. Following their formal winemaking education in Beaune, they each set out to gain experience in the cellars of northern California’s Navarro Vineyards and the famed Domaine Dagueneau in the Loire Valley of France. After taking the reins from their father, Régis, Luc and Lise moved toward organic viticulture and were certified through Ecocert in 2009. The respected Domaine Pavelot name has only continued to rise as the siblings have pushed the envelope for quality even further. Although they continue to hand-harvest in old-school Burgundian wicker baskets, they embrace modern technology and simultaneously employ traditional winemaking that results in a profound, classic expression in the glass. The wine is aged for 12 months in only 25% new French barriques, which results in a clear expression of place with abundant concentration.