Pernot Belicard, Bourgogne Côte-d’Or (Burgundy, France) 2020

($34, Jeanne-Marie de Champs Selection):  The Pernot name is synonymous with great white Burgundy largely due to Domaine Paul Pernot in Puligny-Montrachet.  But this being Burgundy, there are many estates with similar, or at least, overlapping names due to marriage and the French laws of inheritance.  So, in the case of Pernot Belicard, the Pernot is Philippe, grandson of famous Paul.  The Belicard is his wife, who brought vineyards with her when they married.  It is abundantly clear from tasting Pernot Belicard’s wines over the years that the acorn did not fall far from the tree.  In a word, the wines are stunning.  The bad news is the limited availability, which is why — if you ever see them — just buy as much as your budget allows.  This one, their largest production, comes from eight plots comprising just over 6-acres spread over the villages of Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault.  Obviously given the labeling, the vineyards lie outside of those with more revered appellations.  They opt to use the relatively new moniker, Bourgogne Côte d’Or, to remind consumers that all the grapes came from there.  Uplifting acidity ties the finesse-filled creaminess and its minerally edginess together.  It has remarked depth and length for a regional wine.  There is a case in my cellar, which probably says more than the 92 points I’ve given it.
92 Michael Apstein Sep 27, 2022