| Score: |
94 AM.
"From Pernand. Cool and restrained aromas of Granny Smith apples, lemon-lime and mineral reduction are complemented by the imposingly scaled big-bodied and muscular flavors that flash both focused power and stoniness on the moderately austere, chiseled and hugely long finish. This tightly wound and compact effort would benefit from having better depth but given the underlying reserve of material, more will almost certainly develop. This too is excellent . . . . Alvina Pernot is the granddaughter of Burgundy icon Paul Pernot (see immediately below). She, and her husband, Philippe Abadie, have started their own domaine that is technically mostly a négociant, effective with the 2018 vintage. I say technically because the must largely comes from her grandfather's vineyards and thus for all intents and purposes, it's really domaine sourced though this policy was relaxed somewhat for the 2020 vintage. Importantly though, the vinification and élevage methods are not simply a 'copy and paste' imitation of what her grandfather does. The fruit itself generally comes from earlier picked parcels and, when possible, the highest on the slope; for example, in the 2020 vintage began picking on the 17th of August whereas her grandfather did not begin until the 20th. Secondly, no new wood is employed during the 11-month élevage period (slightly longer than her grandfather's 10 months) where there is no racking until the wines are prepared for bottling. For now, natural corks are used and the bottles are waxed. As of 2020, the production is barely 10,000 bottles, which Pernot and her husband hope to increase if they can maintain the quality. While it's true that this new entry into the Puligny wine scene enjoys the inestimable benefits of having access to superb raw materials, Alvina and Philippe appear to already be making the most of it." Allen Meadows, Burghound.com, Jun 2022 |