Pommard

From vines planted in 1931, this wine has a lovely bright red-purple colour. The nose is brisk and almost elegant, with a terrific crunch of dark red fruit and a hint of chocolate. There’s great finesse though, and the fruit swarms all over the structure. Very lively and will repay keeping.

Sébastien professes himself to be very agreeably surprised by the 2014s. He notes good phenolic maturity so could extract the Pinot fruit well, and riper flavours than 2013. Sadly he had yet another vintage of low yields for his whites, especially in Meursault. The wines are concentrated but should be attractive very young.

This is on the higher part of Pommard at 300 metres, above Les Charmots, but south-facing. This is really quite mineral; there is black fruit and a hint of iron on the nose (a good thing). On the palate, it is complex, tight and deep. There is a really understated concentration here, and the finish is long and resolved.
Drink 2022-2028.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

No relation to the many Magniens of the Côte de Nuits, young Sébastien comes instead from Meloisey in the Hautes Côtes de Beaune – a village whose wines were as well thought of as those of Volnay in the 14th century, and were served at the coronation of King Philip II Augustus in 1180. However, to be in the thick of things, Sébastien has transferred headquarters to revamped cellars in the middle of Meursault. He is equally adept at making red and white wines. Sitting (relatively) modestly on Sébastien’s shelf in his tasting area is a trophy: for the Jeunes Talents Côte de Beaune 2016. Sébastien’s star is certainly rising, and fully deserved. Everything here is precise and considered. His vineyards in Beaune, Puligny and St Romain were not frosted, but there are significant reductions elsewhere throughout his range. Much of Sébastien’s focus is in the vineyard, where he tries to capture the spirit of each of his wines. The difficulties of the spring aside, he is very happy with his results this year. He has also been paying particular attention to the toast levels of his barrels, with an even more discreet, integrated result.

Just half a crop, entirely destemmed and with minimal new wood. Good mid purple colour, with balanced fruit across the palate and Pommard’s firm edge of tannins - yet the fruit sings out behind. Attractive, integrated acidity, this just needs time to make a most attractive bottle.
Drink 2019-2024.

Pezerolles was hit by the hail and as a result there is only 20% of the normal volume in 2013. The hail has reduced the yield drastically, but it has not afftected the quanilty of the berries that did make it to harvest time. This is graceful for a Pommard, with wild strawberry combining beautifully with darker plum character. The structure is well covered by the fruit, but make no mistake, like every good Pommard, it is there and in time will provide the backbone this wine needs.
Matthew Tipping - Private Account Manager

This youthful Pommard displays a bright red purple colour, with very little bouquet at this early stage, as one would expect for Pommard. The palate however displays the qualities of the appellation, chunky, indeed massively weighty, then firm tough tannins and acidity behind. Tuck away for the best part of a decade.
Jasper Morris MW - Wine Buyer

Just two barrels were made from these vines which are over 100 years old. There’s a glowing pink-purple colour, which is pleasingly fragrant with a touch of stems. Superb, delicate little pieces of fruit weave across the palate. This is really well put together, with amazing finesse for Pommard, and all the power you could want. Excellent.

This is the third year in a row that the domaine has suffered serious hail damage, which was especially bad in Marc-Olivier’s village, Volnay, and all the Pommards (Rugiens apart). Because of the hail, he used much less in the way of whole-bunch vinification, just 20 percent on Taillepieds and Rugiens, and none at all on his other wines. As ever, his gentle handling of extraction has resulted in very pale colours by modern standards, but this in no way affects the concentration of his wines. There are very good results here in 2014.

This has a vivid, pink-purple colour and bright red fruit. Up front, it is perfumed and seductive; behind it is brisk with some blood orange from the iron in the soil. The finish is very persistent. Just four barrels were made from half a hectare.

Erwan Faiveley believes that 2014 would be regarded as a great vintage – if only 2015 had not come along to trump it. He feels that the changes which have taken place in the cellar since 2007 have had a discernible effect on the quality of Faiveley wines, while similar qualitative changes in the vineyard are only now bearing fruit. Here, balanced but restricted yields are the key.

Not owned by jadot but they have a monopoly of the production. Dense dark ruby in colour, with a wealth of fruit on the nose, this starts well and finishes even better, with lovely fruit and oak balance. The Pommard tannins are nicely tamed. Drink 2026-2034.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Only one-and-a-half barrels were made in 2013, alas. It is a pretty pink-purple with lovely aromatics and some dark brambly fruit. There is a surprising wealth of fruit on the palate, yet it is quite complex with just a touch of oak in support. A powerful and impressive Pommard. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

Each time we have tasted Marc-Olivier Buffet’s 2013’s we have liked them more and more. His ‘softly softly’ approach to the vintage, with very little whole bunch fermentation and very light extraction has paid off. With skilled de-stemming he aimed for whole berries but not whole bunches in the vats.

Buffet’s centurion vines continue to produce outstanding fruit. There is just the one new barrel in 2016, but what a barrel it is! The nose is spicy with dense red fruit and a subtle rose character. Powerful and intense in the mouth, there is amazing structure here, with real grip and layers of chalky tannins. All the elements are there, but this needs several years for them to fully knit together. Drink 2023-2035.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

This family-run domaine, which dates back to 1692, is currently managed by Marc Olivier, son of François, though still with help from his parents. The family had a very successful négociant business, under the name Ferdinand Buffet, until the 1930s when fortunes were lost in the great crash. Even so, there is an impressive range of Volnay (Taillepieds, Clos des Chênes, Champans, Carelles, Clos de la Rougeotte) and Pommard (Rugiens, Clos Micot, Poutures) vineyards. Marc-Olivier uses some whole bunches when he feels the vineyard is suitable, though not for young vines. The wines are matured in barrel over 22 months. Marc Olivier began harvesting on the 24th September, bringing the grapes in at natural sugar levels of between 12 and 13 degrees, but at an eye-wateringly low 10hl/ha. He explained that the vinification looked after itself, with colour and tannin coming easily, thus no need to extract. He thinks that the wines display the softness of 2015, but with a good acid structure and ripe tannins. The village Volnay was so badly hit by frost – one barrel in 2016 versus 19 in 2017 – that it does not appear in our offer. As ever, the wines here are an elegant and ethereal expression of Volnay.

This iron-rich, red clay vineyard from the Meursault side of Pommard produces some very good wines, in the Rugiens mould. Very pretty red and black fruit on the nose, really good intensity. Ripe, rich, dense dark berry fruit on the palate, very typically Pommard. Crisp acidity and fine ripe tannins make this is a class act from Louis Boillot.
Chris Pollington - Private Account Manager

One third of Les Rugiens undergoes whole-cluster vinification. Medium to deep purple, the nose is laden with ripe, cherry fruit and only a touch of spice. Very appealing, there is a huge wealth of fruit on the palate, spectacular quality and lovely, fine-grained tannins. This shows the nobility of the terroir, with no indications of hail.

Étienne de Montille began picking whites on 10th and reds on 13th September, relatively early. Despite the hail (worst in Pommard than Beaune, Volnay less) yields were slightly improved compared to 2013. The fruit was clean with small berries, and beautiful clusters, so they were able to continue with their usual programme of whole-bunch vinification in most instances. The details are given for each wine. They will be long lived wines.

No stems were included in Les Pézerolles which shows a fine, bright purple colour. Really clear, pure, red fruit, with plenty of volume, this is a gentler style of Pommard, with no discernible tannins, good fruit and harmonious all the way through.

Étienne de Montille began picking whites on 10th and reds on 13th September, relatively early. Despite the hail (worst in Pommard than Beaune, Volnay less) yields were slightly improved compared to 2013. The fruit was clean with small berries, and beautiful clusters, so they were able to continue with their usual programme of whole-bunch vinification in most instances. The details are given for each wine. They will be long lived wines.

Very dense dark purple in colour, while the nose is remarkably intense but backward before the fruit swells majestically on the palate. One third whole cluster vinification provides a bit of spice at the back to alleviate the classically Pommard tannins. A keeper.
Jasper Morris MW - Burgundy Wine Director

A lovely bright purple with charming mid-red fruit and some darker notes of cherry and black fruit. Suave and smooth with neither the aggressive acidity nor the tough tannins of some Pommard wines in 2013. Superbly crafted.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

This was Benjamin Leroux’s last vintage at Domaine du Comte Armand and possibly his smallest yet. Just 18 barrels of Clos des Epeneaux have been made, with a yield of around eight hectolitres per hectare. The vintage began on 25th September with good looking grapes and decent maturity. Benjamin is staying involved to see the vintage into bottle, though otherwise Paul Zinetti is now securely in charge.

Just 12hl/ha but that is still better than 2012 or 2013. Made with 30 percent new wood, this is a glorious imperial purple; on the nose, it’s really fragrant, lifted and lovely. To taste, there’s raspberry fruit mixed with alpine strawberries, some darker fruit too, the whole stretching beautifully across the palate. It has medium density and a pure and stylish finish. There’s a little touch of tannin at the back to remind us that it is Pommard – and a very fine one at that.

Paul Zinetti has replaced Benjamin Leroux as régisseur (general manager) at this famous estate. He has inherited a great position but also, alas, a tradition of hail-affected vintages. With this in mind, Paul has looked for lighter extraction in 2014, with less punching down than previously. He has been with the domaine for several years prior to taking over, so he is fully au fait with these vineyards. The village Auxey is a steal this year.

A rich, dense purple colour, this is magisterial. The nose holds immense possibilities though it may not wish to speak of the detail just yet. This is beautifully homogenous on the palate – a gorgeous, glowing, graceful Epeneaux that just reminds you in the aftertaste that it comes from Pommard. It offers the essence of raspberry but in the sumptuous, red-fruit style of the great vintages of the past. Drink 2024-2040.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Paul Zinetti’s second harvest at the domaine has at least given him a few more grapes to play with than 2014 and fruit of exceptional quality. Nonetheless 2015 was once again a very short crop because of the previous hail damage, delivering just one third of what used to be normal. The grapes were mostly de-stemmed, although some whole bunches were used, but always a minority.

This is another tour de force, right from the enticing, rich purple colour onwards. Really exuberant ripe fruit with floral notes are underpinned by a black cherry flavours. A magnificent wine for five to ten years time, although it will certainly last longer than that. Drink 2010-2015

This Pommard is a hugely impressive wine. It is brilliantly rich and full of ripe fruit with some iron rich qualities. Very good weight is offered and this is a good sign of the stems being in behind. Lovely acidity cleanses the palate on the finish. This is a candidate for my wine of the vintage.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Etienne de Montille thinks he has made brilliant 2011s and we are inclined to agree with him. They have freshness, balance, low alcohol, good acidity, excellent fruit and wonderful tannin integration. Picking began on 27th August and continued through to the 9th September as individual vineyards ripened. The fruit has attractively ripe flavours while rarely getting beyond 12.5% alcohol and Etienne chose to include slightly fewer stems than in recent vintages, except for the top Cuvées. Certain wines are available in magnum and double magnum formats, please contact us if they are of interest to you.