Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This parcel faces east from the top of the hill above the village of Pommard. The vines, replanted in the second half of the 1980s, cover 2.73 acres of pebbly, chalky soil, the site organically certified since 2000. The wine itself is immediately complex, with the kind of sumptuous oak integration that elevates the tart cherry flavors. The wine keeps juicing up out of its tannins with delicate yet persistent power, the unambiguous message of the vineyard charged by its marriage with oak into something delicious.
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Wine Spectator
Initial aromas of earth and garlic blow off on the palate, but there are black cherry, black currant, violet and sandalwood notes that build to a long finish. Ripe and well-oaked, yet balanced and expressive. This red is built for the long haul, so be patient. Best from 2022 through 2040.
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.