Pernand-Vergelesses is a commune at the northern end of the Côte de Beaune district in Burgundy. It has had its own Pernand-Vergelesses appellation since December 1936 and produces both red and white wines – from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes respectively.

The village of Pernand-Vergelesses
(© BIVB / DR)

Like several other Côte d’Or villages (e.g. Puligny-Montrachet), Pernand added the name of its top vineyard site to that of the village to form “Pernand-Vergelesses”. Vergelesses is a lieu-dit just south of the village itself, divided between Pernand and neighboring Savigny-lès-Beaune.

The appellation’s white wines are more highly regarded than the reds. While adjacent to the red wine grand cru stronghold of Corton, Pernand is located on the western side of the Corton hill, immediately below the white wine Grand Cru of Corton-Charlemagne. On this side of the hill, the terroir is quite obviously better suited to Chardonnay – producing flinty, austere wines which develop famously well with ageing. In fact, the Premier Cru vineyards in this immediate area hold the classification exclusively for their white wines.

Pernand’s location, wedged between the Corton hill and the eastern slopes of the Côte d’Or, means that its vineyard sites are doubly sheltered from the prevailing winds. While this protection might be an advantage in certain ways, it also corresponds to a reduction in available sunlight – a vital resource for ripening grapes in Burgundy’s cool climate. As a result, Pernand-Vergelesses wines – particularly the reds – have earned a reputation for slightly unripe, “green” flavors. When compared to the more rounded wines of nearby Pommard or Volnay, this contrast is surprisingly pronounced. Pinot Noir grapes, when grown in too cool a microclimate, create wines which are too high in acid, with a sharp, tangy red-fruit character. Fortunately, this only applies to the vineyard sites to the north of the village, which are in the lee of the valley with west and northwest aspects. The best Pernand-Vergelesses vineyard sites are those located to the immediate east and southwest of the village, on the slopes of the Corton hill.

The village underwent its vineyard classification in September 2001 – much more recently than its neighboring communes, most of which were classified in the mid-1980s. Just less than half of the land was rated as premier cru, divided into eight climats. Wines from these sites which conform to specific production conditions may claim the title Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru.