2021 Pommard, Les Epenots, 1er Cru, Domaine Philippe Pacalet, Burgundy
Critics reviews
Admirably subtle wood influence easily allows the spicy and overtly floral-inflected essence of red cherry and currant aromas to be appreciated. There is fine punch and a discreet minerality to the delicious, detailed and tautly muscular middleweight flavours that possess a gorgeous mouthfeel before culminating in a lingering, impeccably well-balanced and highly persistent finish. Once again, this could use better depth, but the fine development potential seems clear. Excellent and worth considering.
Drink from 2031 onward
Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (April 2023)
About this WINE
Philippe Pacalet
Located in Burgundy, France, Philippe Pacalet is renowned for his natural winemaking philosophy, emphasising minimal intervention in the vineyard and winery. Mentored by his uncle, Marcel Lapierre, a natural wine pioneer, Pacalet focuses on organic viticulture and producing wines that express their terroir.
Pacalet's wines are characterised by purity, elegance, and vibrant fruit expression. He operates a small-scale winery, selecting vineyard sites across Burgundy, including Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, and Puligny-Montrachet. By leasing vineyards and working with organic growers, Pacalet ensures high-quality, chemical-free grapes. His hands-off approach in the winery includes native yeast fermentation, avoiding additives, and using minimal sulfur dioxide to preserve the wine's natural flavours and aromas.
Philippe Pacalet's commitment to natural winemaking extends to his cellar techniques. He practices whole-cluster fermentation, enhancing the wine's structure and complexity with earthy and spicy notes. Despite minimal intervention, Pacalet's wines have notable ageing potential, developing depth and balance over time. His reds, aged in oak barrels, gain subtle nuances without losing their inherent character.
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.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Admirably subtle wood influence easily allows the spicy and overtly floral-inflected essence of red cherry and currant aromas to be appreciated. There is fine punch and a discreet minerality to the delicious, detailed and tautly muscular middleweight flavours that possess a gorgeous mouthfeel before culminating in a lingering, impeccably well-balanced and highly persistent finish. Once again, this could use better depth, but the fine development potential seems clear. Excellent and worth considering.
Drink from 2031 onward
Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (April 2023)
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