Rolland and Vincent Rapet... Yet another dynamic father and son duo in France. In truth, Vincent is now in charge but his father still tastes barrels, offers advice, drinks Corton with his friends but that's about it... which is not bad life in itself.

There's no nonsense here. Vincent and Rolland are the salt of the earth and are men of few words.
 

When you arrive in front of their modest house that doubles as wine cellar in the small village of Pernand Vergelesses (just behind the hill of Corton on the picture below), nothing really prepares you for the sheer elegance and breed of their wines especially their stupendous and long lived Corton Charlemagne.

The winemaking his traditional with "debourbage" then fermentation in tanks for one month with three punching of the cap per day, then the wine is aged in 33% new oak, 33% one year and 33% two years. It is raised for 18 months in its lies with "batonnage" (stirring of the dead yeasts) twice a week to start with and once a month after that. Finally, it is fined with either bentonite glue or fish glue but not every year.

Since a few years, the reds have really come together and the white Pernand and Corton continue to be at the very top of their appelations. They are always great value and are always so typical and true to their terroirs.
 

This estate has 18 Hectares farmed organically on the villages of Pernand-Vergelesses, Aloxe-Corton, Savigny and Beaune. Hand picked, the grapes are brought to the fermentation vats on belts and ferments for about 15 days with three daily "pigeages". The whites ferment directly in oak barrel and a third of the barrel are new. The wine is aged on its 'lies' with "batonnage" (the action of stirring the "lies") until July and it is bottled after one year.

Situated where the Cotes de Beaunes and Cotes de Nuits meet, the wines of Pernand Vergelesses offer the wine amateur almost all the nuances of the Cotes d'Or. This part of burgundy is the only one that has Grand Cru, 1er Cru, Village and Bourgogne AC in both white and red.

The forest that covers most hills grows on limestone and protects the vineyards against high wind. Below 335 meters, the vines replace the forest. Along with limestone, red clay can be found and this is where the great wines of Pernand-Vergelesses are found.

For a long time, the domaine was famous for its white Burgundies with a Corton-Charlemagne and a Pernand-Vergelesses that always received great press. But Vincent, is now becoming a crafter of great Pinot Noirs that show impressive fruit and great finesse