2022 Domaine Rapet Pernand Vergelesses Rouge Les Belles Filles

The Pernand-Vergelesses vineyard "Les Belles Filles" is a northern extension of "Iles des Vergelesses" and "En Carradeux" facing east and usually producing an elegant, very pretty light-bodied Burgundy. In 2022, the warmer weather gave this vineyard (and others in Auxey-Duresses for example) their moment in the sun with wines of balance and firm acidities but showing the ripeness of the vintage. The 2022 "Belle Filles" is quite beautiful, beginning with the usual floral raspberry aromas found in this wine; with aeration, the aromas deepen into earthy black cherry with hints of herbaceousness and graphite. The palate shows ripe black cherry and blackberry fruit with earth and mineral flavors, quite dense and deep but still light on its feet and balanced with firm acidity. This is a lovely vintage for "Belles Filles." Decant well in advance if drinking now, best to cellar five to eight years and drink till 2035.