Bourgogne Aligote

This is mostly from 90-year-old vines of Aligoté Doré in Meursault, and a younger vineyard in Volnay; there was no lees contact this year, and it was aged in large 600-litre barrels – of which there are only three this year. The domaine ’s total yield of Chardonnay was only four buckets of grapes, so that’s in here this year too. Doré is rather on trend at the moment, even if it is unclear whether it is a separate strain from Aligoté Vert. There is always a wonderful beeswax texture to this wine and an almost verbena top note. Distinctive, delicious and, this year, quite rare. Drink 2018-2020.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

The family of the Comte Armand has owned the vineyard of Clos des Epeneaux in Pommard since 1826. The vineyard wasn’t replanted post-phylloxera until 1930, but has since confirmed its rating as one of Pommard’s very finest sites. The modern era began under Pascal Marchand followed by Benjamin Leroux and, from 2014, Paul Zinetti, Benjamin’s second-in-command. Further vineyards were acquired in 1994: Auxey-Duresses, Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru, Volnay and Volnay Frémiets. The 2016 harvest is Paul Zinetti’s third after succeeding Ben Leroux, and a subtle but discernible change is under way. The Clos des Epeneaux’s famous dense, rich, tannic composition, so individual and impressive, is being gently moderated towards a wine that will be accessible a little earlier, while in no way undermining the ageability of one of Burgundy’s great terroirs . The firmest tannins are less evident after only gentle pumping-over and a very limited number of punch- downs. A new de-stemming machine is also delivering much better quality whole berries. This is a vintage which reveals a whole new, sunnier and accommodating aspect of the Clos’s character.