Today's Sponsors• A message from WineLibrary.com In This Issue• Bottom-feeding Burgundy We turn to a smaller producer in the ongoing quest for moderately priced Bourgogne of good value. |
Bottom-feeding Burgundy
Continuing this week's efforts to catch a glimpse of the glory of Burgundy by "bottom-feeding," let's turn from Monday's inquiry into a generic Bourgogne Pinot Noir from a very large producer - Louis Jadot - for a look at a similar red Burgundy from a very small one, Paul Pernot et ses fils.
Pernot sells a lot of his own wine to large firms, too. But he also makes some of his own, ranging from high-end wines to pleasant villages wines and simple Bourgogne varietal wines, including today's featured wine, a 2005 Bourgogne Pinot Noir.
According to New York's Burgundy Wine Co., a leading U.S. Burgundy merchant, "Paul Pernot is a quiet man most comfortable among vines or working in his cellars. Much of his wine is sold to a leading negociant. His 1er Cru Folatières is often considered the finest wine from this vineyard ... His Pucelles, located next to Bienvenues, is unusually powerful. He also makes powerful Bienvenues-Montrachets and Bâtard-Montrachets, as well as a fine Bourgogne Blanc and village Puligny-Montrachet.
Importer Joe Dressner agrees, noting on his Website that the Pernot family wines "are well-known throughout the world for classic Puligny and Bâtard style. They have rich concentration and fruit, but more importantly, good acidity that allow them to age gracefully and harmoniously."
We're talking about high-end Burgundy here, well removed from the bargain-bin territory that I'm trolling today; but as Dressner points out, the Pernot estate has enlarged its holdings in Pinot Noir over the years, and among many bottlings produces the Bourgogne rouge featured below.
As much as I enjoyed Monday's 2004 Bourgogne Pinot Noir from the large Beaune negoçiant Louis Jadot, I've got to give Pernot's 2005 the edge in this comparison match. Even allowing for vintage and freshness working in its favor, the Pernot stands out as a classic example of Burgundy with its well-turned balance of fruit and earth, mouth-watering acidity and appealing combination of light body and concentration.
I've asked my associates at French Wine Explorers to make every effort to arrange a visit to Paul Pernot et ses fils during our Burgundy tour in July, and hope it will work out so our group can meet the wine maker and taste his wines on site. More about that below, too.
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Paul Pernot 2005 Bourgogne Pinot Noir ($15.99)
Clear bright ruby, not too dark. Distinct red-cherry scent; crisp and fresh cherry-berry fruit and an attractive strain of minerality over a light-bodied but tart acidic structure. U.S. importer: LDM Wines Inc., NYC; Louis/Dressner Selections. (Dec. 19, 2006)
FOOD MATCH: Splendid with a classic red-meat match, locally grown lamb chops pan-seared medium rare.
VALUE: As noted in Monday's edition, you're simply not going to find a $10 Burgundy any more (and if you do, I'd frankly be intrigued but wary. But this well-balanced, fresh and enjoyable wine certainly justifies its mid-teens price.
WHEN TO DRINK: It's not intended as a long-term keeper, but if you're lucky, even modest Burgundies from good vintages like this one can deliver a pleasant surprise after several years of cellaring.
PRONUNCIATION:
Bourgogne = "Boor-GON-yuh"
Pernot = "Pehr-no"
WEB LINK:
Here's a short info sheet about Paul Pernot and his sons and their Burgundy properties from the U.S. importer's Website:
http://www.louisdressner.com/Pernot/
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
I picked up this wine and the excellent 2005 Bourgogne Chardonnay from Chambers Street Wines in NYC,
https://www.chambersstwines.com
Check prices and find other vendors for Paul Pernot Bourgogne on Wine-Searcher.com:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/
find/Pernot%2bBourgogne/-/-/USD/A?referring_site=WLP
Talk About Wine Online
To read and comment on today's column in our non-commercial WineLovers Discussion Group, click:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?t=6467
Today's article is cross-posted in our Netscape WineLovers Community, where we also welcome comments and questions.
http://community.netscape.com/winelovers?nav=messages&tsn=1&tid=5106
To contact me by E-mail, write wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.
PRINT OUT TODAY'S ARTICLE
Here's a simply formatted copy of today's Wine Advisor, designed to be printed out for your scrapbook or file or downloaded to your PDA or other wireless device.
http://www.wineloverspage.com/
wineadvisor2/2007/02/bottomfeeding_burgundy-print.html
Terroirs of Burgundy with Robin Garr
Speaking of Burgundy, as we'll be doing this week in the 30 Second Wine Advisor, what wine lover hasn't dreamed of touring this great wine region, meeting its wine makers, learning about its wines and dining in its characteristic restaurants and bistrots?
Now, with the respected wine-touring company French Wine Explorers, we've crafted a special, once-in-a-lifetime Terroirs of Burgundy tour aimed at thrifty, value-seeking wine lovers.
If you've long dreamed of learning Burgundy and its wines with an expert at hand but thought you couldn't possibly afford it, I invite you to consider The Terroirs of Burgundy. I'll be personally leading the July 2-7, 2007 tour, and I promise maximum "bang for the buck."
Interested? Don't delay, as the tour is strictly limited to 16 wine lovers. You can review the itinerary and details at http://www.wineloverspage.com/tour/
For more information or to make reservations, send E-mail to info@wine-tours-france.com or call +1-877-261-1500 (toll-free in the U.S. and Canada). And if you would like to discuss this tour with me personally, feel free to write me at wine@wineloverspage.com
