2022, Domaine du Comte Armand, POMMARD, 1er Cru, 'Clos des Epeneaux'

The 2022 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux 1er Cru was tasted from individual cuvées blended to make a representative final blend. This year, there is 8% vin de presse. It has a backward nose at first, demanding encouragement from the glass. There's blackberry, raspberry and sea spray, and quite an elevated marine influence compared to recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. Silky smooth in texture with fine delineation, very well-balanced with a touch of white pepper and clove on the finish. This is set to be a generous Clos des Epeneaux, slightly more opulent in style yet with ample freshness and tension. It will require 4-5 years in bottle. 92-94 Neal Martin, Vinous (2023).

First we tasted the component parts. (1) Young vines from 1980s. A deep concentrated purple. Lesser foliage in the hot dry summer has concentrated the colour and other aspects, giving a dark style of fruit as well, with a nutty finish, but good acidity. (2) A blend, mainly from plot #3 and a bit of #1. Mid purple in colour, less demonstrative on the nose. A much suppler style of fruit, less forceful acidity, fine length, more typical Epenots here. (3) Old vines, 90+ years old: A deep glowing purple. A little more intensity, a gorgeous quality of deep red fruit, just a touch tougher in its tannins, plus the acidity. (4) Press wine: dark purple, powerful rather than fine on the nose, more volatile, but could be useful in the blend. Sweet thick dark red to black fruit. Chunky stuff. And now the blend: A deep purple colour with only a very slightly lighter rim. The bouquet suggests poise as the fruit has melded together harmoniously. On the palate this is, as almost always, a much more complete wine than the individual parts. The wine seems to push down deeper while retaining all the class of the very best components. We are approaching the cusp of red and black fruit, the acidity is perfectly harnessed and the tannins are fine grained. Potentially a very fine Clos des Epeneaux. ***** 93-96 Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy (2023).

Drinking Window: 2027 - 2050