2015 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Ile des Vergelesses - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru (6/4/2018)
Quite dark, almost opaque garnet; light creosote on the nose; hmm, this is definitely from a warm vintage, shows a lot of ripeness, heat, some spice which may be from alcohol, bit of a roasted fruit quality. Not up to the quality I expect from this wine, and not something I think will gain from extended cellaring. (83 pts.)
Sitting on one bottle of the ‘11 that I’m afraid to open for the opposite reasons. 
Sitting on a few bottles of the 03 for the same reasons.
I just never have been a fan of this producer (especially this particular vineyard)…
TTT
In a year like 2015, I believe, this wine would be made with all stems included, and should take a long time to show itself, given the domaine’s generally austere style of vinification. It’s one of the few from 2015 I’m keeping an eye out to buy, but I won’t expect to drink any before 2035, at the earliest. A chacun …
I’d like to try the 2013, which, per Martin Steinley, was made without stems and showed very well young. The 2009 was powerful young, with phenomenal aromatics, after extended air time - but still all about potential. The 2007 was barely coming into its window this year.
Have really loved '05 and '07 of this wine. Light in color and body, but wonderful aromas and compelling flavors.
I trust John Gilman more than Alan.
You think the 05 is open for business? Weirdly, I have three magnums, and have been operating on the assumption that I should’t even look at them for another seven or eight years.
Non-commercial post: I know and like this producer, have never sold his wines.
I think the winemaking was always good but has improved lately. I am a big fan of both whites and reds and particularly like this bottling, both for absolute quality and qpr. The last vintage I had was 2012, which was young and still pretty tough, but with excellent purity and balance. I am penciling in 2020+ to try again.
FWIW, I’ve had the white Corton in a few vintages and it is incredible, so far (knock on wood), no premox.
Please note that all of these were tasted in France, but with good provenance, I would not hesitate to buy any of this producer’s wines.
Dan Kravitz
I had an advanced bottle of 04 a few years ago, which broke my heart–tasted a lot like oxidized Chenin.
We are big fans of the wines AND the people at CdB. The wines are incredibly long-lived. Re 05s, I plan to open Savigny village in the next year or so (per Claude).
I’m not touching 05 1ers of GCs.
2005 was not ready. Had the last bottle of three for Thanksgiving. No one at the table wanted a second glass. Super tannic, monolithic, and little perfume. I would’ve rated it around 88pts. I was definitely expecting more. Don’t open for another decade or even two, this one has a long life ahead, in my opinion.
What kind of age had the Corton you tasted acquired? I have two bottles of '07 (good provenance bin-ends) and puzzle about when to drink them. Thanks.
Thanks; this is more or less what I’d expect for this wine (not to be wise after the fact) given the domaine’s rep, on top of 2005 vintage characteristics. One of this board’s venerable tasters (Blach?) recently wrote that the CdB Ile takes 30 years to come around, rather like a good, red Corton.
I’ve had 2 bottles of the 05 from my cellar in 2013 and 2016 and didn’t like either. Totally lacking fruit. Mostly earth, brambles and wood. 1 bottle left, but I don’t expect any improvement. Will hold for a few more years.
FWIW, I’d lose it in the cellar for as long as you can stand to. This style of wine-making is a poster-child of an intransigent Burgundy caterpillar that, at some point, turns into a gorgeous butterfly. The contrast can be very surprising, when it goes well.
Anyway, 'nuff said. I’m beginning to sound like a salesperson for Brialles.
I loved this wine from barrel (when it was extravagantly fragrant and texturally lavish) and retained my sense of excitement and optimism when I tasted it from bottle in January, I must say. I purchased some for my own cellar. Last month the 1990 version showed very well, too, and that saw cruder and more oxidative winemaking in a similarly torrid vintage.
With large amounts of whole cluster and a ripe vintage, the profile of the wine is always going to be different, with pretty high pHs. But as François de Nicolay put it when we discussed this question, the wines find a different kind of balance—I agree.
Like most of the 2015s, however, the Chandon de Briailles wines are shutting down. I don’t think they’ll be as closed for as long as e.g. the still-closed 2005, simply because both the winemaking and the vintage delivered finer tannins, but I wouldn’t plan on checking in on this until at least age ten, and more realistically age fifteen.
Of course, the CdB style is admittedly a pronounced style which will never be tailored to everyone’s tastes.
I picked up a 1959 recently which I’m going to drink this Fall, it will be intriguing to see how another ripe vintage is holding up.
I have had the Corton white in the 2000, 2001 and 2002 vintages. All were consumed about 3 - 4 years ago. The 2000 was fully mature but not in the least oxidized. The 2001 I didn’t like as much, younger but ruder. The 2002 was great wine, still young.
One of my French friends has a lot of these wines in his basement. Next time I visit, I will ask him to put on a tasting for me, but not of 2015 reds.
Dan Kravitz