Philippe Pacalet Pommard 2017
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Rich and mineral wine. It is spicy and fruity: red fruits and spices. It is fleshy, robust and slightly tannic.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is tight and very fresh with linear acidity and creamy texture. Medium to full body and lots of brightness. Lovely, energetic finish. Lots of strawberry and smoked meat.
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Wine Spectator
This perfumed red displays light aromas and flavors of burning vine cuttings that complement the currant, cherry, sandalwood and floral notes. Firm and focused, with a mineral element emerging on the lingering finish. Drink now through 2032.
Other Vintages
2016-
Wine
Spectator
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Wine
Spectator
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Wilfred
Wong -
Wine
Enthusiast
Philippe Pacalet is one of the leading natural winemakers in Burgundy, producing wines with minimal intervention to ensure that the terroir is as transparent as possible in his selections. He crafts wines from some of the most renowned appellations of Côte d’Or where he strategically chose vineyard parcels that parallel with the principles of his work. He does not possess his own vineyards but is cautious to contract with growers who work organically and sustainably, following his own rigid set of beliefs and personally supervises farming throughout each phase. Harvest is performed manually by his team. Being that terroir is of utmost importance to him, Philippe removes anything from the vinification process that can obscure the purity of the land, allowing each wine’s specific characteristics to shine through. His overall philosophy is "Authenticity, Non-Interventionism and Cultural Experience." All of his care and attention to detail results in unrivaled top quality wines of stunning clarity.
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.