2021 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”Bernard Baudry
France | Loire
$36
Producers
by Jane Berg
2018 Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc
Domaine Follin-Arbelet France | Burgundy | Pernand-Vergelesses
If you see Franck Follin’s bottling of Pernand-Vergelesses blanc on offer, don’t dillydally. We only get a few cases, due to a number of factors. For starters, Franck has less than a hectare of this parcel, which is never a vigorous provider. The slope at the base of the hill of Corton is steep and difficult to work, and yields are low and slow to ripen due to a somewhat shady exposition. While this may not sound desirable for a cool climate like Burgundy, in a robust, early ripening and sunny year like 2018, the respite is perfect. Ever the racy and mineral cuvée, this particular vintage is all silk and flesh, and a rare village treat from a producer of mainly premier and grand cru wines.
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chardonnay |
Appellation: | Pernand-Vergelesses |
Country: | France |
Region: | Burgundy |
Producer: | Domaine Follin-Arbelet |
Winemaker: | Franck Follin |
Vineyard: | 20 years average |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13% |
Domaine Follin-Arbelet France | Burgundy | Aloxe-Corton
Domaine Follin-Arbelet France | Burgundy | Aloxe-Corton
Domaine Follin-Arbelet France | Burgundy | Aloxe-Corton
Domaine Follin-Arbelet France | Burgundy | Pernand-Vergelesses
Domaine Follin-Arbelet France | Burgundy | Romanée-Saint-Vivant
Domaine Follin-Arbelet France | Burgundy | Corton Grand Cru
In eastern central France, Burgundy is nestled between the wine regions of Champagne to the north, the Jura to the east, the Loire to the west, and the Rhône to the south. This is the terroir par excellence for producing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The southeast-facing hillside between Dijon in the north and Maranges in the south is known as the Côte d’Or or “golden slope.” The Côte d’Or comprises two main sections, both composed of limestone and clay soils: the Côte de Nuits in the northern sector, and the Côte de Beaune in the south. Both areas produce magnificent whites and reds, although the Côte de Beaune produces more white wine and the Côte de Nuits more red.
Chablis is Burgundy’s northern outpost, known for its flinty and age-worthy Chardonnays planted in Kimmeridgian limestone on an ancient seabed. Vézelay is a smaller area south of Chablis with similar qualities, although the limestone there is not Kimmeridgian.
To the south of the Côte de Beaune, the Côte Chalonnaise extends from Chagny on its northern end, down past Chalon-sur-Saône and encompasses the appellations of Bouzeron in the north, followed by Rully, Mercurey, Givry, and Montagny.
Directly south of the Chalonnaise begins the Côte Mâconnais, which extends south past Mâcon to the hamlets of Fuissé, Vinzelles, Chaintré, and Saint-Véran. The Mâconnais is prime Chardonnay country and contains an incredible diversity of soils.
Jean-Claude Regnaudot France | Burgundy | Maranges
Domaine Boillot France | Burgundy | Gevrey-Chambertin
Domaine Larue France | Burgundy | Saint-Aubin
Bruno Colin France | Burgundy | Puligny-Montrachet
Henri Costal France | Burgundy | Chablis
Henri Costal France | Burgundy | Chablis
Bruno Colin France | Burgundy | Chassagne-Montrachet
Domaine Larue France | Burgundy | Puligny-Montrachet
Domaine Taupenot-Merme France | Burgundy | Mazoyères Chambertin
Domaine Savary France | Burgundy | Chablis
Domaine Robert Chevillon France | Burgundy | Nuits-Saint-Georges
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171
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