Who are we ?
The Pavelot Family, grape growers and wine makers is well rooted in Pernand-Vergelesses. Luc and Lise are the seventh generation, following their parents Régis and Annie, who followed Maurice et Gladie as well as earlier generations: Léon and Clémentine, Antoine and Ursule. Today, the brother sister pair, work to uphold the family tradition and viticultural heritage of those who preceded them on their 10 hectares (22 acres) of vineyards.
In the line of generations of winemakers who transform the earth into wine, different tasks mark our seasons in accompanying the vine. Patience and respect for the living: the plant, the soil, the insects, the animals and the humans no less guide our way. On the geologic scale of our planet, we have the good fortune to live these values in our hands and it is for us to take their measure, with respect for the well-being of all work at the domaine as well as for the pleasure of all who enjoy our wines.
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Philosophy
Between our attachment to traditional farming methods and modernizing the tools of production, we advance calmly in this world where stability and balance are to be redefined in perpetuity.
This is why, through an organic and biodynamic agriculture, we give to our parcels and our plants the essential so that they return good fruit, in good health, in balance, consistently, for the earth and for us.
Each generation of the family has given much, in respect and attention to the land and to our plants, given what was available to them in both human and material resources. As such, our oldest vines have peacefully attained 90 years… This is the result of the will and the perseverance to construct, brick by brick, season by season, a domaine that is vibrant, producing wines that are valued and which can be passed to the next generation.
After each harvest, another year commences, with its worries but also with its satisfactions. Our work, however remains the same and renews itself every year, like the wines, year after year.
Time and patience are necessary before harvesting the fruit of our effort. It is a methodical process which demands deliberation and listening. With the effort of the entire team, we construct anew from day to day.
Our Wines
In the elaboration of our wines, we try to work as simply as possible, with precision and intervene only as necessary and at the right moment. Each year, a new reflection imposes itself given the new challenges presented by the vintage.
The vinifications take place uniquely under the action of native yeasts, without the abuse of technology or of oenological irritants. We use sulphur during the vinifications and at the conclusion of the malolactic fermentations. However, to optimize these necessary additions, we adhere to the lunar calendar to minimize the doses and thus reduce their impact on the wines and on the consumer.
Our biodynamic practices are fundamental in order to create a healthy and living wine for the pleasure of the wine lover and to obtain an expression of each appellation in harmony with the vintage, without excess of elaboration in the cellar.
The wicker baskets
The wicker baskets that adorn our label are not merely decorative, we use them each year to transport the harvest in the best condition. An iconic image of the harvest in Burgundy, this mode of transport is well adapted for its purpose : the grape bunches do not compress under their own weight ; any juice that is released does not end up in the press or the vat as it drains through the pores of the basket.
We have chosen this image because it important to our work and a trusted element during the harvest, which is a moment both crucial and joyous. They are a link to our ancestors, the first workers of the vines who have conceived them. Each year, we return to the artisans who produce for us several new baskets to renew the stock. Handmade and becoming more and more difficult to procure, they are objects of art and this is part of the reason that we continue their usage. Beyond sentimentalism, the wicker baskets are also a method of transport which is most efficient : they have evolved in form so that the 35 kilos balance well on the shoulders of those who carry them to the waiting vehicles.
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The wicker baskets respect the grapes bunches en route to the winery, allowing them to breathe and preserving their integrity, the first priority. If the fruit is by chance touched by rot, its undesirable juice will drain during the transport. The form of the basket plays a significant role as well, constructed in such a way that when stacked during harvest, the bottoms rest on the edges of other baskets and not on the grape bunches themselves.
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For the time being, we have not thought it useful to modernize with plastic bins. What do the porters think, those who carry the baskets ?
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the entire grape
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After having well reflected on the vilifications of our Pinot Noirs and returning to the fundamentals of its history, we have chosen in 2005 the conservation of the stems during the maceration. This is not our invention as prior to the modernization and mechanization of the vinification process, the entire grape bunches, including stems, formed the basis of vinification, linking grape vine to grape must.
After several vintages and different experiences, we have further refined our technique. We remain flexible in adding the percentage that is appropriate for the appellation and in function of the maturation of the stems in question. The average varies between 30% and 50% according to the vintage. The principal contribution of the stems resides in their role as thermic regulator : the start of the alcoholic fermentation being more spontaneous and it proceeds more predictably with the addition of the stems. In addition, the presence of the stems in the chapeau, assumes the role of a drain so that the extraction of tannins unfolds more gently and ensuring that the wines are more stable in aging.
This “carbonic maceration” encourages aromatic complexity, adding notes of spice. The warm vintages become less heavy, more refined and balanced.
