Corton Bressandes is one of the named red climats of the Corton grand cru, and Philippe Pacalet's 2021 comes from a mid-slope parcel on the hill. It is a structured but graceful red, fine-boned in the way of the vintage.
About This Wine
Red Corton may carry the name of its climat, and Bressandes is a well-known name among them. Pacalet's parcel sits mid-slope on limestone and clay. The 2021 season opened with the April frosts, then brought a humid summer with heavy mildew pressure, and growers who kept on top of it were rewarded when a warm September ripened the small crop. The better reds are pure and fresh, with ripe but light tannins.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Raspberry and sour cherry, rose petal, earth and a note of sweet spice.
- Palate: Silky and detailed, with perfumed Pinot fruit, mineral freshness and a firmer grip than his village wines.
- Finish: Savoury and lasting, with spice and a stony finish.
Serving & Food
Allow it until about 2027 to settle and drink through the mid-2030s. Decant for 30 to 45 minutes and pour at a cellar-cool 16°C into a generous Burgundy stem. It pairs well with roast lamb and rosemary, a mushroom and chestnut pie, or Cantonese soy-braised beef.
How to Enjoy
Laying down for the next decade, or opening with friends curious about low-intervention Burgundy.
Product Details
Producer: Philippe Pacalet
Region: Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Appellation/style: Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru
Vintage: 2021
Grape / blend: Pinot Noir
Format: 750mL bottle
About the Maison
Pacalet owns no vines. Instead he buys grapes from a wide spread of appellations, up to around 27 in some years, and treats that spread as insurance against hail hitting any one village. He does not simply buy fruit, though: each harvest a team of about 40 pickers works under his direction, choosing the whole bunches that go into the vats.
The business is run from a quiet street near Beaune station and is very much a family affair. His wife Monica handles the commercial side, which has let Philippe stay in the vineyards and cellar. The wines sell mostly abroad, and a large share goes to Japan.