Winemaker Notes
The nose wooded by a maintenance of 18 months in new barrels, a tight material with affirmed tannic grain forces to forget this wine in the cellar a few years. Patience will be rewarded with a silky wine, with an unusual texture density. It can be married to wild meat, a piece of game or a Burgundian cheese, Cîteaux, Epoisses, Ami du Chambertin.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens is the king of the cellar, unfurling in the glass with a lovely bouquet of cassis, smoky plums, spices, orange rind and rich soil tones. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, with a fleshy core of fruit that cloaks its rich structuring tannins, succulent acids and long finish. This hails from vines planted between 1964 and 1980 in both Rugiens Bas and Rugiens Haut.
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.