Winemaker Notes
Pommard "Les Cras" is our only red Côte de Beaune village level wine. The origin of the word "Cras" comes from "rocky hillsides", a term often used to designate a lower elevation vineyard whose soil is constituted of rubble and pebbly stones.
Very well situated at the top of the lieu-dit with a slight slope toward the south and between the intersection of two Premier Crus ("Les Combes Dessus" and "Le Clos Micot"), this 0.5 hectare parcel's soil is gravelly with a high quality red clay that is very typical of Pommard. Planted at the beginning of the 1980s, this vineyard gives generous, profound and sappy fruit.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
One of the outstanding village Pommards of the vintage, this comes from deep clay soils at the bottom of the slope below Les Rugiens-Bas. It's quite a backward wine, partly because it didn't finish its malolactic until August 2019, but also because it has some added structure from 30% whole clusters. Bloody, ferrous and grippy with dark bramble and black cherry fruit.
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.