2011 Domaine Marius Delarche Pernand-Vergelesses Les Boutieres Vieilles Vignes Reserve

Domaine Marius Delarche is a 24-acre estate in the village of Pernand-Vergelesses and Aloxe-Corton, in Burgundy’s Cote de Beaune. The family estate is run by Etienne Delarche, who studied viticulture in Beaune before returning home to run the estate in 2005. The estate produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and offers Grand Crus, Premier Crus and villages wines. Delarche Grand Crus are Corton Les Bressandes, Corton-Charlemagne and Corton Clos du Roi. Premier Crus include the red wines Pernand-Vergelesses Les Fichot and Ile de Vergelesses, and the white wine monopole Pernand-Vergelesses Clos Berthet. Burgundy writer Clive Coates notes that the domaine’s “whites are now very good indeed.”

Pernand-Vergelesses is an 870-acre appellation sometimes overshadowed by its famous neighbor to the east, Aloxe-Corton. Depending on the time of the day, Le Montagne de Corton literally casts a shadow over of the village of Pernand-Vergelesses, which has fewer than 400 people. Pernand-Vergelesses appellation wines can be red or white, and its most renowned wines are the Grand Crus it shares with its neighbor Aloxe-Corton. About 25% of the Grand Cru vineyard Corton-Charlemagne is within the Pernand-Vergelesses appellation. There are six Premiers Crus, they produce much of the wine of Pernand-Vergelesses and nearly 75% of what they produce is Pinot Noir. Many of the vineyards face northeast, meaning that inhospitable weather can be particularly challenging for growers. Robert M. Parker Jr. notes “in good vintages a top Premier Cru Pernand-Vergelesses will be a relatively rich, rustic, concentrated wine that is often compared to that of its nearby neighbor, Savigny-Lès-Beaune.”

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.