This historic estate was established in 1834. Claude de Nicolay took over from her mother as winemaker in 1988 and crafts traditionally styled wines from one of the Cote d’Or’s great terroirs, the hill of Corton and its surrounding villages. The vineyard management has been fully biodynamic since 2005 and organic since 1998. The winemaking incorporates a large percentage of whole cluster fermentation, resulting in true “vin de garde”, and yields are limited to draw out the individual character of the specific site. Premier Cru Iles-des-Vergelesses is considered by many to be the Grand Cru of the Premier Crus in Pernand-Vergelesses, and Chandon de Briailles is the only grower of both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in this excellent site. The Pernand Vergelesses Iles des Vergelesses red is full of minerality and complex flavors, the white, in good years, can compete with Corton Charlemagne for complexity and finesse. In his review of Chandon’s wines from the 2006 vintage, John Gilman (View From the Cellar) wrote: “This domaine is quickly becoming one of the very finest to be found anywhere in the Côte D’Or…these are great, classically styled, terroir-driven red and white Burgundies that age brilliantly, and are among the treasures to be found in the Côte de Beaune for those adventurous enough to try a few bottles.”
Appellation: PERNAND-VERGELESSES Premier Cru Les Vergelesses
Grape variety: Pinot Noir
Surface area: 1.22 hectares
Exposure: East
Terroir: Situated on the lower, predominantly clayey, part of the slope, this parcel faces east and was planted in 1954 in deep, iron-rich soil.
Tasting: This wine is of intense colour, a wine that is rich, full and not very tannic. It rapidly develops aromas of fresh fruit before revealing a lightly spicy character for immediate pleasure.
Vintage: The year of balance through freshness. In other words, it was a cold winter, followed by a mild spring then a cool and slightly damp summer. The harvest was late and the mildness of September allowed the grapes to achieve an excellent maturity without losing acidity. As the crop was 40% below normal, it goes without saying that the wines achieve a rare level of intensity.The reds are well-coloured, rich and powerful and gifted with good acidity; they reflect their climats with sincerity.The whites are crystalline in structure and rich in aromas well typifying their appellation.In general, there is good keeping potential for both colours (5 to 15 years.)