Producer: Domaine Denis Pere & Fils
Wine: 2010 Corton Les Paulands Grand Cru
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Nose: Very sensual aromas of ripe dark and black fruit (cherry, boysenberry) followed by hints of vanilla.
Palate: Pure and clean palate of red fruits, round and rich structure balanced by a zesty acidity for longevity. The finish is long and complex.
Food: Pairs well with veal in orange sauce, roasted pork, charcuterie or braised red meats cooked in red sauce.
Cellaring: Drink now or cellar until 2030
DOMAINE DENIS PERE & FILS
Pernand-Vergelesses, Burgundy
Domaine Denis Pere & Fils is located in Pernand-Vergelesses, a picturesque village in Côte de Beaune and covers 31 acres of vines in Pernand-Vergelesses, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Aloxe-Corton and Chorey-lès-Beaune. In 1940, Raoul Denis, who was the winemaker of the prestigious Hospices de Beaune (as his father and grandfather had been) decided to take over a secondary job with his wife and to cultivate the 5 acres of vines he inherited from his family. In 1972, they created the company Denis Père & Fils with their first son, Roland and his wife, Annick.
In 1992, Roland handed the torch to Christophe, the youngest of his sons. Today, the domaine is run by Christophe and his wife Valérie.
The Vine Cultivation is traditional and balanced. Christophe Denis thinks this choice of methods is a good alternative between the “all chemical” and “organic” approaches. It is based on their experience and observation of the vines and the local conditions, allowing them to calculate accurately the optimum usage of organic fertilizers, to reduce to a minimum the application of synthetic products in the fight against pests (mildew, odium, grape-worm) and to best preserve the vineyard’s balance by the working of the soil (plowing or grassing).
Corton Appellation Grand Cru of the Côte de Beaune region (Côte-d’Or). This appellation may be followed by the name of the Climat of origin (applies to red wines only). Producing communes: Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix-Serrigny and Pernand-Vergelesses. The appellation includes 25 Grand Cru Climats and lieux-dits.
Corton produces both red and white wine with Pinot noir and Chardonnay as the main grape varieties. The Hill of Corton lies in the midst of a cluster of famous wine-growing villages - Ladoix-Serrigny, Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses and Savigny-lès-Beaune - with, to the North, the southern end of the Côte de Nuits where vineyards mingle with stone quarries (Comblanchien limestone). The vineyards lie at heights of 250-330 meters and form a kind of amphitheater not found elsewhere in the Côte. The Hill of Corton produces white Corton-Charlemagne and (mainly) red Corton, described by Camille Rodier as “le roi des bons-vivants” (or “the king of the bon-vivants”). Corton Grand Cru received its AOC status on 31 July, 1937. A small quantity of white wine is grown but only the reds have the right to add the name of their Climat to that of the appellation.
Information by: Burgundy Wines
Exposure is South-East/South-West (rarely found in the Côte). The hillside offers a textbook cut-away illustration of the local geology. The Oxfordian Jurassic limestone lying between Ladoix and Meursault is younger (145 million years) here than elsewhere along the Côte. At mid-altitude, the slope is gentle and the soil reddish and pebbly, derived from brown limestone and rich deposits of marl with high potassium content. The Pinot Noir grape is pampered here. The Chardonnay grape (which gives us the Corton-Charlemagne) occupies the top of the slope.