Domaine ROLLIN Père & Fils (Pernand-Vergelesses) -- 2022 Tasted from Bottle and Samples from Cask and Some 2021s Tasted from Bottle

Although the Burgundies from a small number of the most sought-after domaines are beyond the means of most of us, there are excellent estates in less fashionable appellations that are consistently turning out outstanding wines at much more affordable prices. One such estate is Rollin Père & Fils in Pernand-Vergelesses. It has 14 ha of vines.

As with Rousseau and Trapet, my previous two visits, the estate is undergoing a change of generations, in this case from Rémi Rollin to his son Simon. I always hold my breath when such events occur at a quality domaine, because I have seen instances where the quality does not continue. But as this visit demonstrated, there is no need for concern here.

Simon, echoing the other Côte d’Or producers I visited, said that 2022 was an easy vintage. Although it was a drought year, there was nevertheless sufficient water to nourish the vines. Yields were 55 hl/ha in white and 48 hl/ha in red. Harvesting began with the reds, for a few at the end of August, and then the main harvest was 1-13 September. Other than a tiny bit for white (see below), there was no chaptalization, and there was no acidification.

We start with the whites, which were already in bottle when I visited.

2022 Bourgogne-Aligoté

 Aligoté is now finally getting the recognition and acclaim it deserves, and Rollin has long made a top example of it. The nose and mouth are both quite mineral and pure and there is some roundness to this wine. The wine drinks well now, but Rollin’s Aligotés have a track record for easily aging a decade or more. The wine is raised in stainless steel tank. About half the vines are 60 years-old, one-quarter aer about 30 years-old, and the remaining quarter are 15 years-old.  90+/A

2022 Bourgogne — Hautes Côtes de Beaune

This wine is pure, mineral, round, and fresh with good acidity, finesse, and refinement. With global warming, smart buyers are seeking out the better wines from the Hautes-Côtes. The wine ferments and ages in 400-liter casks, none of them new. The vines average about 15 years in age. 90/A

2022 Pernand-Vergelesses

The nose here is pure, focused, deep, stony, and mineral. The mouth is light with freshness, good intensity and length, a bit of richness, and more substance than the preceding wine. There’s also very good energy to this wine. With time in bottle, the wine will take on more richness. Average age of the vines is 40 years. 91/A

2022 Pernand-Vergelesses   Les Clous

Rollin’s Pernand Les Cloux has white flower aromas. The mouth is round and the attack is from acidity is modest, but the wine remains nonetheless fresh and has good tension. The wine features quince flavors and perhaps a little tropicality. This wine drinks well already and is of premier cru quality, as is normally the case. About 2/3 from vines that are 15-20 years-old, the rest from vines that are about 40 years-old. The vines are at 350 meters in altitude and face southeast. 92/A

2022 Pernand-Vergelesses   1er Cru   Sous Frétille

The premier cru Sous Frétille has modest acidity, quince fruit, good length and freshness, finesse, and more substance than the Clous.  92+/A

2022 Corton-Charlemagne

As is not unusual for young Corton-Charlemagne, the nose is still rather closed, but it does show good depth, breadth, and promise. The mouth shows still more tension than in the Sous Frétille, even though the acidity here, too, is relatively modest. There is depth here and structure. The wine needs at least five years’ cellaring to show its full potential, but that potential is outstanding. This is a very fine expression of the complex terroir of Corton-Charlemagne. About half the vines are in Aloxe and south-facing at mid-slope. Those vines date for the most part to 1976. The other half of the vines are in Pernand on the upper part of the slope and face southwest. Those vines date to 1948. Half new oak on this wine.  94+/A

We now move to the reds, all of which were tasted from drawn-off samples except for the Bourgogne-Hautes Côtes de Beaune, which was bottled at the beginning of August. The rest will be bottled in February or March without filtration.

2022 Bourgogne-Hautes Côtes de Beaune

Red currant aromas are followed by a mouth that is light, pure and refreshing with simple red fruits. It is a wine that is easy to like. 87/B+

2022 Pernand-Vergelesses

The red Pernand has red currant aromas and flavors. The wine is chiseled and shows freshness, structure, purity, intensity, and more body than the Bourgogne-Hautes Côtes de Beaune. No new wood on this wine. (89-92)

2022 Savigny-les-Beaune   Aux Grands Liards

This wine shows red and dark fruits in a light body. The fruit here is wilder than for that of the Pernand, and the wine is delicious to drink already. Half of the vines are 70 years-old, half are 15 years-old. (90-93)

2022 Aloxe-Corton

The Aloxe-Corton has darker fruits with some oak still showing (30% new on this wine). As one would expect, it is heavier and rounder than the preceding wines (due to the clay of Aloxe-Corton), but there is nevertheless finesse here, just in the context of Aloxe-Corton. About 40% of this wine is from the premier cru Guérets vineyard, planted in 1978. (90-93)

2022 Pernand-Vergelesses   1er Cru   Les Fichots

Rollin’s Fichots has floral and perfumed aromas. The red fruits in the mouth also have floral overtones. Beneath the clay, the subsoils here are strongly limestone, giving a linear structure to the wine and its overall elegance.  (91-94)

2022 Pernand-Vergelesses   1er Cru   Île des Vergelesses

The Île des Vergelesses is more closed in the nose than the Fichots, with some tar and tea (presumably reduction that will disappear with age) showing. The mouth is pure, round, and supple, but with underlying structure. Red currants, minerality, and freshness are all present, as well as finesse, and just a touch of sappiness for complexity. This wine will need a few years in the bottle to develop, but it has outstanding potential.  (92-94)

Some red 2021s from bottle. 2021 was a disastrously small vintage, with only 22-23 hl/ha in red and less than 15 hl/ha in white, for an overall loss of 70% of a normal crop. Simon generously opened three bottles of the red 2021s, and they showed extremely well. As with the 2022s, these wines are great expressions of their respective terroirs:

2021 Pernand-Vergelesses  

The village Pernand is open for drinking now with roundness and clear red currant fruit supported by good acidity, giving freshness and minerality to the wine. There’s also notable finesse here. But give this wine time in the bottle, if you can, and it will continue to improve over several years. 90(+)/A

2021 Pernand-Vergelesses   1er cru   Les Fichots 

As with the 2022 version of this wine, the limestone subsoils come through, expressing themselves in the wine’s purity and refinement. The wine has red fruits and almost an airiness and excellent acidic lift. This is an outstanding success. 92+/A

2021 Pernand-Vergelesses   1er Cru   Île des Vergelesses

As with the 2022 comparison of the two premiers crus, the Île des Vergelesses is the rounder wine, but it still has the classicism of 2021 and some tannins showing. It is a superb wine, but ideally, give it 8-10 years in the cellar before opening. 93/A