Domaine de Courcel Pommard Premier Cru Grand Clos des Epenots 2011
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Rich and dense, with pure black cherry and spice flavors. A bit rigid now, with plenty of buried fruit. Finishes with edgy tannins and good length. Best from 2016 through 2026. 250 cases imported.
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The Domaine de Courcel is a 400-year-old family-owned winery located in the village of Pommard in the Côte d’Or. Its current owners, three sisters and one brother, are the descendants of the founders. Gilles de Courcel provides leadership for the domaine, the estate is managed by Anne Bommelaer and Marie de Courcel, and Yves Confuron has served as the winemaker since 1996. Its prestigious Pommard Premier Crus include Le Grand Clos des Épenots, Les Rugiens, Les Frémiers, and Les Croix Noires. Tradition, modernism, and excellence are the pillars of this domaine.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Representing some of the darkest, deepest and sturdiest Pinot Noir of Burgundy, Pommard is one of the two villages in Côte de Beaune—along with Volnay—that is recognized for its impressive Pinot Noir. While it can’t boast any Grands Crus vineyards, its extraordinary Premiers Crus vineyards are aplenty.
Les Pézerolles, Les Épenots, Clos des Épeneaux, Les Chanlins, Les Jarolières, Les Fremiers and particularly Les Rugiens are among the most outstanding Premiers Crus.
The best Pommards will be concentrated in flavors such as black cherry, blackberry and dark chocolate, have dazzling aromas of violets, menthol or wild herbs and a firm and powerful finish. They typically demand some time in the bottle to reach their peak.