1999 - Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Ile des Vergelesses Rouge, Chandon de Briailles

Good medium red. Very fresh, rocky nose offers mellow notes of plum jam, mocha and earth plus a subtle balsamic quality that carries through onto the palate. Sappy and saline, showing lovely texture and surprising energy to its evolving flavors of dried red berries, spices and minerals (this must be all whole clusters or pretty close). A firmly tannic, rocky, soil-driven wine with serious length--and perhaps with a bit less licorice, pepper and spice character than it would have shown from a cooler year. Claude de Nicolay noted that this fruit was harvested on September 23 with 12.7% potential alcohol and a pH of 3.25; she added that she would still wait another three or four more years for more silkiness.