Winemaker Notes
Among many factors, the quality of the clay and the presence of iron give Rugiens-Bas an incomparable power and distinction in the Côte de Beaune. Powerful and full-bodied, this wine expresses itself in all three major dimensions: complexity, depth and longevity.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Closed, dense, serious and compact, this is Rugiens Bas for people who like their Pommard to be intense, firm and ageworthy. It's spicy, layered and ferrous, with two-thirds whole bunches adding more nuance and complexity. It's a wine that will take a while to come around, but will be worth the wait.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Domaine de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens-Bas is a standout. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows excellent depth and persistence. Enjoy its compelling aromas and flavors of ripe black fruit and savory spices with Cantonese roast duck over jasmine rice. (Tasted: October 28, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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Jasper Morris
A lovely classy flamboyant red purple. Then the nose displays a fine intensity of fruit too, floral perfume, some alpine strawberries overlaid with ripe raspberry. Heady and exciting, with a huge wealth of fruit through the middle, and a sweeter style at the finish – enough fruit to cover the undoubted structure and very persistent.
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James Suckling
Very flinty nuances here with hints of white pepper and violet flowers. A thread of succulent, fine and juicy tannins carry very fresh and detailed red cherries. Long and seamless finish. Two-thirds whole clusters and 40 per cent new oak.
Barrel Sample: 92-93
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.