Tasted 13 October 2021 in Puligny with Michel Pernot.

Domaine Pernot Paul et Ses Fils
7 Place du Monument
21190 Puligny-Montrachet
Tel: +33 3 80 21 32 35
www.domaine-pernot.com (not yet online)
More reports with Domaine Paul Pernot.

It was nice to see patriarch, Paul Pernot doing his rounds in the cuverie on this visit – he’s less mobile (slower) than was once the case – but his eyes still miss nothing!

​Michel Pernot on 2022:
“Yes – very happy with 22 – this is what we needed!”

Michel Pernot on 2021:
“We lost 90% in a large part of our premier crus in 2021. The villages were minus 30% in volume, the Bourgognes had less than 20% losses but it was hard in the premiers. One of the worst examples is Folatières; we produced 8 barrels instead of 70 – but at least there was some wine! In Chalumaux and Champs Canet, there was none – here it was completely frosted. We had more wine in 2016 – Bâtard was well frosted and Folatières also a bit in 2016 – but even my father has never seen a frost like it. For a year of frost, it’s a remarkably good vintage. Those that we have are all bottled, since the end of July…”

The wines…

Michel Pernot nails it – ‘For a year of frost, it’s a remarkably good vintage.’ All the wines here are closer to excellent than ‘just’ very good – with the exception of their two grand crus, which are, as they should be, great. They are worth a special search…

All DIAM seals here, since 2017, a mix of 5s and 10s.

2021 Bourgogne Aligoté
From the commune of Puligny, close to Route Nationale in the direction Corpeau. ‘We dont know the age of the vines as they were bought quite a time ago but they are at least 80-90-years-old and always with a small yield.’
A fresh width of citrus – very inviting. Mouthfilling with lovely energy – pure, clean and tasty. Fine aligoté with a little creamy oak in the finish.

2021 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Chardonnay
5 parcels including a lieu-dit Champ Canet which is next to the 1er of the same name and Chalumaux but classified as Bourgogne.
More direct – fine citrus again. Larger, a little more muscled, pretty finishing – easy and fine once more – good flavour clarity here.

2021 Puligny-Montrachet
The big assembly of multiple parcels – between 55 and 60-year-old vines
More open, this width of aroma has a little vibration of energy too. Broad – extra energy but with a good cushion – there’s nothing hard. Some generosity to this layered finishing flavour.

2021 Meursault-Blagny 1er La Piece Sous la Bois
François Frères Troncais barrels, from ‘haute gamme’ – 30% new barrels, the rest 1-3 years old. Whereas the bourgognes are all old barrels up to 8 years old.
Here’s a tighter nose – some depth with a little ripeness but tight. On the palate direct, bursting forward, extra vibrancy of middle and finishing flavour – holding very strong – clearly a jump up – it just needs the nose to become more expressive. Lovely flavour…

2021 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Clos de la Garenne
Always a little more power here – the clos shared with Magenta/Jadot. Planted in 1956…
A freshness here still not fully open but more than the previous – fine clarity though. Extra minerality – a width here – becoming more intense. Yes, you can almost chew on the middle concentration here – so persistent – that’s got tons of flavour depth. A really super wine.

2021 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Les Folatieres
3 areas; Peut Bois, Clos and the hillside – 3.5 ha
Always a more airy, more floral aromatic. Extra! Here’s a beauty – some more green citrus in the mix of flavours but open, melting, beautifully proportioned wine -simply excellent wine. Holding a top finish.

2021 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Les Pucelles
Usually, a little more oak, maybe 35% vs the 20% of the previous 1ers
A clean width of aroma – less expressive today than the Folatières. More direct, a little extra structural muscle – a super core of flavour – becoming more floral as it fades – impressive but for keeping a while – return in 2-3 years but super persistent – it will surely be excellent too.