Pommard

in Pommard last April

Pommard is a beautiful village, small with a church dominating the main square. Just south of the important wine town Beaune, Pommard finishes before it's even begun, the vineyards merging into Volnay's. Very much in Chardonnay territory, Pommard and Volnay are the two major villages of the Côte de Beaune that produce only red wine. Its reputation goes back hundreds of years, not least because, unlike other lighter, more delicate wines of Burgundy, its wines were able to survive the journey to England. Today, Pommard is still known for producing powerful, relatively tannic wines.

the terroir

Nowhere is more associated with terroir than Burgundy, the vineyards producing subtly different wines as they stretch from village to village. This is particularly true of Pommard, which, despite being so small (just 320ha of plantings), has 28 different climats leading, in the words of local winemaker Aubert Lefas of Domaine Lejeune, to 28 different wines. Vineyards' different aspects, altitude, and soils cause such a variety of terroir. The altitude of vineyards ranges from 250 to 330m; although most of the best Côte d'Or vineyards are halfway up the slope, some of Pommard's, such as Les Epenots in the northern part of the village, are lower down due to particularly shallow topsoils. These result in lighter expressions of Pommard, while vineyards in the southern part are higher up and are iron-rich, leading to deep coloured, more powerful wines.

Les Croix Noires vineyard with Les Chaponnières on the other side of the road and Les Rugiens behind it

There are currently no Grand Cru vineyards in Pommard, due to disagreement among local winemakers when the appellation was created in 1936. Just over half of Pommard is Premier Cru (116ha); two of those vineyards, Les Epenots and Les Rugiens (which means red-coloured because of the iron in the soil), have applied for Grand Cru status which will take another ten to fifteen years to achieve.

the style

Described by Victor Hugo as a fight between night and day (C'est le combat du jour et de la nuit), it is hard to generalise about the taste of Pommard. Each vineyard has its own style, ranging from light and elegant to rich, tannic, and powerful - complicated further by the style of each producer. Due to the wines' tannins, Pommard is considered one of the most ageworthy of Burgundy's appellations. It's also 20-30% cheaper than Gevrey-Chambertin, one of Burgundy's most famous villages, and therefore well worth investing in.

the tasting

Domaine Maillard Père et Fils La Chanière 2012

This was the fruitiest and easiest drinking of the wines I tasted, with lots of ripe, fresh red berry aromas of raspberry and strawberry, as well as liquorice, vanilla, and paprika, with surprisingly ripe tannins on the palate. Its fruity, forward nature made it very popular with the Americans I was tasting it with. ✪✪✪✪

Domaine Parigot Les Riottes 2012

From the bottom of the slope rather than the top, this provided quite a contrast with the first wine. A deeper colour, with a meaty, smoky nose, firm tannins giving the wine stucture, and concentrated aromas of cherries and blackberries. ✪✪✪✪✪

Maison Louis Jadot Clos de la Commaraine Premier Cru 2011

The first two village wines were from the fruity, ripe vintage of 2012, while three of the Premier Cru wines were from the more difficult 2011 which produced tannic, less concentrated wines. This Premier Cru (one of Thomas Jefferson's favourites) from major producer Louis Jadot was a little disappointing, with blackcurrants and figs and rather drying tannins, but the next two wines demonstrated that 2011 is indeed capable of quality wines. ✪✪✪✪

Domaine Jean-Marc Boillot Les Jarolières Premier Cru 2011

Perhaps the highlight of the tasting, from Les Jarolières Premier Cru on the border with Volnay. From 65-year-old vines inherited from Boillot's grandparents, the wine had wonderfully pure, precise fruit aromas of raspberry, red plum, blackcurrant, and blackberry, with a bitter, smoky spiciness, and firm tannins. The wine was aged in 50% new French oak, which could have dominated, but Boillot does not practise pumping over or punching down during maceration in order not to extract too much tannin, resulting in a very balanced wine. ✪✪✪✪✪

Maison Joseph Drouhin Les Rugiens Premier Cru 2011

A wine which perhaps showcased the winemaker Véronique Drouhin's sensibilities as much as the highly-regarded, iron-rich vineyard. Véronique Drouhin is a winemaker who aims for finesse and elegance in her wines, and with just 20% new French oak this was a reserved, restrained wine. However, the aromas were extremely concentrated, with fine, ripe, integrated red fruit aromas, and dried roses and dried herbs such as tarrogon giving the wine a subtle depth. ✪✪✪✪✪

Domaine Lejeune Les Argillières Premier Cru 2008 

Also called En Largillière (referring to its clay soils), this is an example of how Pommard can age. Quite restrained on the nose with developing aromas of mushrooms, undergrowth, and dried herbs, it was on the palate that the expressive, subtly powerful aromas shone. The tannins were drying and structured, with refreshing acidity, and a long finish with raspberries and cherry stones. Fermented on whole clusters with no destemming, this was Pommard at its most individual yet characteristic: elegance and power combined. ✪✪✪✪✪