2023 Domaine Rapet, Pernand-Vergelesse, Sous Frétille, Premier Cru White Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, France.
The Rapet Pernand-Vergelesse Premier Cru “Sous Frétille” comes from a unique terroir just about a stones throw from Corton-Charlemagne on a steep hillside with chalky limestone, clay and meager top soil that transmits into the wine with precision and mineral tones. This 2023 version really delivers and is already drinking gorgeously with incredible depth and concentration showing on the firmly focused palate that revolves around a core of lemon curd, apple, Bosc pear and white peach fruits along with subtle leesy toastiness, wet stones, clove spice, smoky vanilla and hazelnut. Slightly reductive and flinty at first this wine, with a lively tension, opens up nicely in the glass and completely seduces the senses and is a very rewarding white Burgundy to drink over the next decade. Rapet says that their new white Premier Cru, “Sous Frétille”, comes from a special parcel situated right below the virgin “Notre Dame de Bonnes Espérance” that overlooks Pernand itself, where this Chardonnay develops a finesse, (and) an elegance, without loosing it’s incomparable touch of mineral.
The Domaine Rapet, which sadly I’ve not had many, makes some beautiful wines and I’m grateful to my friend Alex Lallos of No Limits One Wines, who has imported some cuvées from this estate and shared this outstanding wine with me and a small group of wine enthusiasts. For the white wine vinification, the winery says that they bring in the grapes in small crates to keep them intact. The pressing is (then) carried out with a pneumatic press which is less damaging to the grapes and whole grapes are placed in the press and the pressing lasts for two hours. After 24 hours settling at low temperatures, the grape juice is transferred into barrels to ferment, with typical the proportion of new barrels being close to 30%. The Chardonnay sees its aging on lees, with some healthy stirring, which lasts until the next July, before a racking to tank, and the wine is bottled after 12 months. With this wine’s pedigree and deep character, this program is perfect match to produce the result seen here, which delivers complexity and pleasure in the bottle. Domaine Rapet, now run by Vincent and Sylvette Rapet, dates back to 1765 and based in the Pernand-Vergelesse, it is a label you should be following and I highly recommend this stellar effort!
($75-82 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive