Domaine Rollin, Pernand Vergelesses Blanc

There’s a quiet, unshowy beauty to Pernand-Vergelesses that sneaks up on you. The village sits tucked beneath the massive arc of Corton-Charlemagne, where cool morning air drifts down the forested slopes and the light reflects off pale limestone and white marl that dominate the hill. The Rollin family has been here since the 1950s, farming these soils with the kind of steady, generational commitment that only comes from being rooted in the same earth for decades. What they coax from this little valley is remarkable. Rollin’s Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc carries the unmistakable imprint of Corton-Charlemagne—firm, limestone-driven structure; mineral tension; and precise, almost architectural clarity—but without the decade of patience the Grand Cru demands. Where Corton-Charlemagne needs time to unwind, this wine is already soaring: textured, pure, and outrageously alive right now. It offers the backbone and mineral depth of the hill’s most famous Chardonnay at a fraction of the price.

Pernand-Vergelesses sits on the western flank of the hill of Corton, directly across from Aloxe-Corton and Ladoix-Serrigny to the east—three villages wrapped around Burgundy’s most storied limestone outcrop. If you left Beaune, the commercial heart of Burgundy, and drove northwest for about 15 minutes, you’d arrive in Pernand-Vergelesses—tucked into cool valleys that climb toward the forested crown of Corton. The particular plots that feed this bottling sit astonishingly close to Grand Cru soil—truly just a nine-iron away from Corton-Charlemagne itself—sharing the same limestone spine and exposure that give the hill its legendary authority. This side of the hill, with its cooler exposures and slightly higher altitudes, produces whites of tension, lift, and mineral persistence. Historically, Pernand was considered the “quiet” neighbor of the Côte de Beaune’s star villages, but Burgundy’s warming climate has flipped the script. These tucked-in slopes and narrow valleys now offer a natural buffer from excess heat, allowing the wines to retain acidity and balance that many more famous appellations struggle to hold onto. In 2022—a ripe, generous year—Pernand is exactly where you want Chardonnay to come from: elevated, ventilated, limestone-rooted, and naturally poised. The wines here are having a moment, not because of marketing, but because the terroir is now perfectly aligned with the climate.

Domaine Rollin Père & Fils is one of the region’s quiet master craftsmen. Founded by Maurice Rollin in the mid-20th century and expanded by his son Rémi and grandson Simon, the estate is a model of integrity and precision. They work about 12 hectares across Pernand-Vergelesses, Aloxe-Corton, and Corton-Charlemagne, farming by hand, harvesting manually, and letting fermentations occur with native yeasts. Nothing is rushed; nothing is forced. The whites are gently pressed, settled overnight, and aged in modestly used barrels with minimal new oak—allowing the vineyard to speak clearly. Their style is crystalline, honest, and grounded in texture rather than ornamentation. If you want a reference point for what true Pernand-Vergelesses is supposed to taste like, you start here.

The 2022 Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc opens with ripe pear, citrus oil, and white flowers lifted by a cool limestone edge—an aroma profile that feels both generous and finely etched. The palate is where Rollin’s signature comes through: layered texture balanced by bright acidity, a touch of white-marl depth, and that unmistakable deep mineral finish that only hillside limestone can give. It’s vibrant, mineral, and beautifully shaped, with enough mid-palate weight to satisfy fans of Meursault but the tension and focus that mark great Corton-Charlemagne. Drink it now for its purity and energy, or cellar it 3–7 years for additional definition and depth. Pair it with butter-poached lobster, roast chicken with tarragon, scallop crudo, or a simple plate of Comté and crusty bread—anything that lets the wine’s tension and mineral drive shine.