The 2022 Lucien Le Moine Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru Sous Frétille Blanc is a serious 100% Chardonnay from one of the most interesting white-wine terroirs of Pernand-Vergelesses in Burgundy's Côte de Beaune. Sous Frétille occupies the steep south and south-east-facing slopes of the Frétille hill, on limestone- and marl-rich soils. Its position is particularly compelling: the vineyard lies close to the Corton hill and Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, giving Sous Frétille a combination of ripe exposure, freshness and pronounced mineral character. The climat's quality was formally recognised when it was promoted to Premier Cru status in 2001. Lucien Le Moine's tiny-production approach makes this an especially distinctive interpretation of the site, with the maison specialising almost exclusively in Premier Cru and Grand Cru Burgundy.
The generous 2022 vintage gives the wine impressive concentration without losing the naturally energetic character of Pernand. Expect lemon zest, grapefruit, crisp apple and orchard fruit, followed by spring flowers, subtle vanilla, toasted nuts and spice. The palate has richness and weight, but the defining feature is a strong line of acidity and wet-stone minerality, creating a long, precise and refreshing finish. The wine sits at around 14% alcohol, yet contemporary notes still emphasise its raciness and mineral tension rather than heaviness. Reliable major-critic scores for this exact 2022 bottling are difficult to verify, so I would rather leave out a numerical rating than risk attributing a score from another Lucien Le Moine wine. Available assessments consistently point towards a wine capable of developing comfortably throughout the 2030s.
