Check out Burgbit for bits of Burgundy info from our French and Burgundy wine specialist Kurt Eckert. Get familiar with easy-to-digest and uncommon facts about the complex wine region of Burgundy, France – home of world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines – and you’ll be a Burgundy enthusiast in no time.
Pernand-Vergelesses, Clos de la Croix de Pierre, En Caradeux Premier Cru, Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot…What is the average wine drinker to make of a wine labeled with such a string of names? Being that this is France (and Burgundy no less), each has a purpose and provides precise information. Let us break it down:
Pernand-Vergelesses (pear-non ver-gel-less) – this is the name of the small village in the Côte de Beaune, which attaches to its surrounding vineyards. Pernand-Vergelesses is located just north of Savigny-lès-Beaune and slightly west of Aloxe-Corton.
Clos de la Croix de Pierre (klo duh la kwah duh pee-air) – this refers to a walled vineyard (or clos) which is marked by a picturesque stone cross (or croix) dedicated to St. Pierre. This vineyard covers just 3.93 acres, in a relatively cool site, and on a slope facing northeast.
En Caradeux Premier Cru (en kaira dew) – this indicates that this small vineyard ( the Clos de la Croix de Pierre) is part of a larger parcel named En Caradeux which is designated as appellation Premier Cru – but do note the appellation only applies to red wines. Any white wine produced from this site would be villages-level and could not indicate En Caradeux. (Having fun yet?)
Domaine des Heritiers Louis Jadot (domain des hair-it-ee-ay) – remember the bit about Monopole and a single owner? Here it is! This 3.93-acre parcel remains the property of descendants of the original Louis Henry Denis Jadot. These wines continue to be vinified and marketed by Maison Louis Jadot.
At the end of the day – The red wine by Louis Jadot, Pernand-Vergelesses Clos de la Croix de Pierre Premier Cru, is a wine of medium weight, with distinct stony earth and floral nuances, initially rather angular, which with time in bottle (or decanter) then broaden out to deliver a taut, complex, food-friendly, palate-refreshing and rather haunting lively red Burgundy. It has the advantage of being a lesser-known appellation and therefore likely not too expensive.
The lesson here is that a daunting label may often signal an over-achieving and under-appreciated Burgundy!
