2018 Louis Latour Pernand-Vergelesses En Caradeux 1er Cru 750 ml

Premier Cru Burgundy under $100 always gets our hearts pumping. But securing a racy, golden white from one of the rarest Premiers Crus in the Côte de Beaune at this price is like a vinous adrenaline shot for Burgundy collectors and Chardonnay lovers alike. 

Especially when it comes from Louis Latour, a member-favorite estate whose deep history in the region means unparalleled access to some of the tiniest, most tucked-away vineyard sites, and was grown in what Decanter calls “one of the greatest ever vintages.” It’s the stuff of dreams for Burgundy die-hards like us.

We discovered this 2018 En Caradeux the last time we were in Burgundy. It was our second-to-last night and we found ourselves at the eleven-seat Le Charlemagne in Pernand-Vergelesses, a storybook village tightly squeezed together against the precipitous slopes of Corton. As the only restaurant in town, we knew we were in good hands to drink what we came for: some of the most underrated—and underpriced—wines in all of Burgundy. 

We had visited Maison Louis Latour earlier that day in Beaune, so when we asked the owner for his favorite local white, we were surprised to see him emerge from his creaky basement cellar with such a familiar name attached to a bottle we’d never seen. 

Turns out, our old friends at Louis Latour keep a few locals-only tricks up their sleeves. 

Stunning right off the bat, the wine emits classic notes of golden apple, yellow flowers, and hazelnut, which dovetail with complex vanilla, toasted brioche, and fresh stone fruit. As sharp as a knife’s edge on entry, the palate’s orchard fruit slowly builds with thrilling density into a balanced, medium-bodied frame. A touch of citrusy acidity gives it focus, while notes of clove, vanilla, and toasted nuts round out the lingering finish.  

Pernand-Vergelesses is one of the few Burgundy villages where we can ask for the dealer’s choice on a Premier Cru without specifying a price ceiling. Hidden behind Corton’s famous hill and out of sight from the touristed N74, Pernand-Vergelesses wines have been almost literally overshadowed as a result. Their Premiers Crus have maintained village-level pricing, even while they share the same stony flint limestone terroir and complexity as some of the most famous Grands Crus in the Côte d'Or. 

The east-facing En Caradeux parcel is one of the steepest and smallest in all of Pernand-Vergelesses, which is why its wines have such brilliant tension and minerality—and why this plot is considered one of the crown jewels of the village. Its aspect means it does especially well in warm, near-perfect years like 2018, which Decanter described as “a vintage to rival the mythical 1947.” 

En Caradeux is exactly the type of vineyard on which Louis Latour has staked its value proposition for centuries. 250 years of experience in Burgundy have given the family unmatched access to prime vineyard land and unparalleled expertise in the cellars. After acquiring their first vineyards in the Côte d’Or in 1731, they have claimed choice parcels one by one, and longstanding family ownership means Louis Latour can offer stunning wines for a fraction of what their Premier Cru neighbors are charging.

The next morning, we headed straight back to Louis Latour’s Beaune HQ to tease them in person for holding out on us, and to negotiate the US exclusive on this very limited En Caradeux—a wine that was never meant to venture much farther than its Pernand-Vergelesses slopes, let alone cross the Atlantic. It’s a truly overperforming Premier Cru Burgundy from a trusted powerhouse favorite.