Varietal
Tasting notes
Colour: Intense dark ruby.
Bouquet: Aromas of a certain virility, on a fruity, woody and animal framework of great complexity.
Palate: The structure is solid, the tannins still present. The chewiness is remarkable, the flavours are all at once fruity, animal, spicy and liquorice. Quite powerful, this is a racy wine with a strong character.
Food and wine pairing
Drink with fine roasted or oven-grilled meats, prime rib, rump steak with pepper, marinated game or poultry in sauce, not forgetting creamy Burgundy cheeses but not too strong.
Serving suggestions
Serve ideally at room temperature, around 16-18°C (60-64°F).
Ageing potential
A Premier Cru that can be kept in the cellar 8 to 10 years.
Origins
The vineyard of Pommard is located on the Côte de Beaune, in Burgundy, between the village of Volnay to the south and the town of Beaune to the north. The Pommard appellation only produces red wines, all exclusively from Pinot Noir. The surface area of the vineyard covers approximately 300 hectares, 125 hectares of which are Premiers Crus.
The climat " Les Poutures ", whose name comes from "pâtures", covers 4 ha 12 a 74 ca on the lower part of the vineyard, in the middle of the hillside.
The soils are composed of ancient alluvial deposits, clay and limestone, well drained thanks to a pebble of rocky debris. Iron oxide in the form of veins sometimes reddens the earth. Exposure to the east and south. Altitude: between 250 and 330 metres.
Vinification and maturing
Hand-picked, the grapes are sorted in the vineyard and then again in the winery on a table. The grapes are then 100% de-stemmed but not crushed, so they are placed whole in wooden vats by gravity. Maceration lasts around 3 weeks, with regular punching down of the cap.
The wine is aged for 15 months in barrels without racking (35% new barrels).
Vintage : 2020
The current public health crisis has certainly marked this year’s harvest, which nonetheless has been able to go ahead! Despite the year’s record temperatures and lack of rainfall, there is been no lack of quality, although yields are down, with an especially mixed picture with regard to reds. However, these have generally been very well-balanced. Overall, we have seen nice levels of acidity, promising good aging potential…
All over Burgundy, 2020 was notable for its mildness and low rainfall. After a winter with no serious frosts, we went straight into a spring dominated by sunny, dry weather, resulting in very early bud break. Infrequent outbreaks of rain in June and July were not enough to stave off water shortages. Very high summer temperatures combined with intense sun exposure levels led to the vines gradually falling prey to hydric stress, causing delays to fruit ripening before harvest-time.
Once again, the vegetative cycle was shortened, being almost three weeks ahead of 2019’s. Thankfully, the harvest was saved by the relative cool of the nights. The harvest was of marvellous quality but there was very little juice in the red grapes (reduction of 30 to 50%), and reasonable potential alcohol, despite the heat. The whites, on the other hand, coped very well with these extreme conditions and yields were very good.
A very promising year for the whites with a fine balance between acidity and alcohol and intense white fruit aromas. Alcoholic fermentation in barrels lasted four weeks. Millerandage affected the reds leading to less juice but nice colour and distinct red berry aromas. With its generous tannins, this year looks set to be one to cellar.