2023 Rapet Pere & Fils Pernand Vergelesses Ile de Vergelesses Rouge

(92 Points) The 2023 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Ile de Vergelesses is denser and more layered, offering up notes of plums, raspberries and candied peel, followed by a medium to full-bodied, pure and lively palate. The unassuming Vincent Rapet, whose family can trace its roots in Pernand back to 1795, is now joined by his son, Robin, at the helm of this historic 20-hectare domaine. There's a long track record here, and I can extol the merits of the domaine's older wines from personal experience. As I've written before, vinification is pretty classical, with the whites whole-cluster pressed and fermented in barrels (some 20% of which are new), including a considerable proportion of larger formats, as well as a few concrete eggs for some cuvées; Rapet believes them to give a more tensile, fresher profile to the wine. The reds, which have improved in recent years, see a brief cold soak, followed by some 15 days of maceration, maturing in around 30% new wood from carefully chosen sources, including Chassin and Taransaud. With the 2023 vintage, Rapet has made a subtle shift toward picking at more complete maturity, something that has brought more texture and plenitude to the domaine's white wines.(WK) Wine Advocate, Review Date: 01/2025