Winemaker Notes
Les Grands Epenots is slightly more delicate than many Pommards because of the drier subsoil in this parcel. The wine has intense aromas and flavors of red fruit, musk and game on maturity. It should be cellared for 5 years before opening and will develop in the bottle for 20 to 25 years.
Pair with red meat, game and mature cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A suave version, this red features cherry, raspberry, iron, earth, vanilla and toasty oak aromas and flavors. Its supple texture, verging on creamy, gives way to thick, dusty tannins on the finish. Nevertheless, this is balanced and long, with marvelous red fruit notes persisting. Best from 2028 through 2043. 20 cases imported.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Aromas of dark berries, licorice, sweet spices and toasty oak preface the 2022 Pommard 1er Cru Les Grand Epenots (Maison Louis Jadot), a medium to full-bodied, ample and suave wine that's lively, seamless and charming. It's a strong effort from one of the house's historic sources.
Barrel Sample: 90-92
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.