2019 Pommard, Les Fremiers, 1er Cru, Domaine Louis Boillot & Fils, Burgundy
Critics reviews
The 2019 Pommard 1er Cru Les Fremiers is excellent, unwinding in the glass with aromas of sweet red berries and plums complemented by hints of orange oil, loamy soil and raw cocoa. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and seamless, it's deep and complete, with lively acids and a long, penetrating finish.
Louis Boillot seems to have read my mind when, as we began our tasting together, he ventured that 2019 is "the most elegant, refined and fresh of the recent warm vintages we've had here in Burgundy." As I recount in my commentary on Domaine Ghislaine Barthod, team Barthod-Boillot began harvest on September 7th, and they were happy to have been among the earliest to pick. All these wines are exquisitely balanced, and while there's no grand cru to grab collectors' attention, that's probably a boon for Burgundy lovers looking for elegant, age-worthy wines—in many cases, produced from notably old vines—from the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits that still fly somewhat under the radar. In short, everything here comes warmly recommended.
Drink 2027 - 2055
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (January 2022)
About this WINE
Louis Boillot
Louis shares his cellar with his other half, Ghislaine Barthod , under their home in Chambolle, overlooking Les Feusselottes. He is part of the Boillot family from Volnay, which explains the quantity of his vineyard holdings in the Côte de Beaune.
Since striking out on his own in 2003, he has been able to maximise the potential of his many disparate small parcels – he makes 16 wines from less than seven hectares – many of which are notable for the exceptional age of their vines.
He expanded into Moulin-à-Vent in ’13 and subsequently into Fleurie, fulfilling a long-held ambition. His and Ghislaine’s son Clément is now officially in charge, while Louis focusses on his viticulture. As yet, there are no discernible changes.
In the winery
“Non-intervention” is the word here, and Louis prefers to let his old vines speak for themselves. Everything is destalked, and the wines are bottled without fining or filtration.
Pommard
The most powerful red wines of the Côte de Beaune emanate from Pommard, where complex soils with a high proportion of iron-rich clay produce deep-coloured, relatively tannic wines. A Pommard that is ready to drink in its first few years is probably not going to be a great example of the appellation.
Two vineyards stand out: the lower part of Les Rugiens, which has been mooted for promotion to Grand Cru status, and the five-hectare, walled Clos des Epéneaux, monopoly of Comte Armand.- 212 hectares of village Pommard
- 125 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards (28 in all). The finest vineyards include Les Rugiens, Les Epénots (including Clos des Epéneaux) and Pézérolles
- Recommended producers: Comte Armand, de Montille, de Courcel, J-M Boillot
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or.
Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.
Because of the thinness of the skins, Pinot Noir wines are lighter in colour, body and tannins. However the best wines have grip, complexity and an intensity of fruit seldom found in wine from other grapes. Young Pinot Noir can smell almost sweet, redolent with freshly crushed raspberries, cherries and redcurrants. When mature, the best wines develop a sensuous, silky mouth feel with the fruit flavours deepening and gamey "sous-bois" nuances emerging.
The best examples are still found in Burgundy, although Pinot Noir`s key role in Champagne should not be forgotten. It is grown throughout the world with notable success in the Carneros and Russian River Valley districts of California, and the Martinborough and Central Otago regions of New Zealand.
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Description
The 2019 Pommard 1er Cru Les Fremiers is excellent, unwinding in the glass with aromas of sweet red berries and plums complemented by hints of orange oil, loamy soil and raw cocoa. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and seamless, it's deep and complete, with lively acids and a long, penetrating finish.
Louis Boillot seems to have read my mind when, as we began our tasting together, he ventured that 2019 is "the most elegant, refined and fresh of the recent warm vintages we've had here in Burgundy." As I recount in my commentary on Domaine Ghislaine Barthod, team Barthod-Boillot began harvest on September 7th, and they were happy to have been among the earliest to pick. All these wines are exquisitely balanced, and while there's no grand cru to grab collectors' attention, that's probably a boon for Burgundy lovers looking for elegant, age-worthy wines—in many cases, produced from notably old vines—from the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits that still fly somewhat under the radar. In short, everything here comes warmly recommended.
Drink 2027 - 2055
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (January 2022)
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