Pommard produces the most age-worthy wines in the Côte de Beaune. The ancient hairpin streets winding through the charming village surrounded by vineyards makes Pommard visitors feel like they have stepped into the past. Time seems to have been frozen for centuries in this prestigious red Burgundy village amidst a sea of Chardonnay in the Côte de Beaune.
It is here where a mere lieu-dit transcends vineyard designation and reveals something exponentially more profound. Pommard’s Les Vignots vineyard was the source for one of the most memorable bottles of wine I ever experienced - a mature Domaine Leroy from this very site, Pommard “Les Vignots,” which today fetches over $500. Thankfully, Domaine Chantal Lescure has organically farmed, adjacent holdings to Leroy’s Les Vignots site and captures this unique parcel’s character for a tenth of the price. I am quite picky when I offer red Burgundy over a certain price, but I assure you, the 2013 Les Vignots is an absolute winner that will impress now or age beautifully until 2030 or longer.
The charmingly antiquated village of Pommard is something of an anomaly. It is one of the most famous villages in the Côte d’Or, yet it has no classified Grand Cru vineyards. Nestled between Volnay to the south and Beaune to the north, it’s located in the white-dominated Côte de Beaune, but its classified production is entirely Pinot Noir. Pommard’s vast history as a source of world-class wine dates to the 1800’s. With well over a century of winegrowing history, the small village still leaves visitors with a feeling like they have stepped back in time. Although one of the southernmost sources of great red Burgundy in the Côte d’Or, Pommard is often hailed as the Gevrey-Chambertin of the Côte de Beaune as the wines reveal Pinot Noir of incredible structure and masculine energy. The Les Vignots is more than a mere lieu-dit. Adjacent to La Chanière 1er Cru and abutting the sweet spot of Premier Crus north of the village, this limestone and marl terroir high on the hill reveals a vineyard that gives many classified 1er Crus a run for their money.
The Domaine was founded in 1975 by Chantal Lescure and her husband, Xavier Machard de Gramont. The family estate passed into the hands of their children, Aymeric and Thibault Machard de Gramont who hired François Chavériat as the maître de chai. Today, François upholds the legacy and runs the Domaine with a keen respect for the terroir and the vineyard’s ultimate voice in the final product. The fruit is harvested entirely by hand then lightly crushed and destemmed. The wines are transferred to stainless steel via gravity where the fruit undergoes a natural, cold maceration for several days. Fermentation lasts 13-24 days and is conducted in closed tank with moderate punch downs. The juice is racked and pressed to barrels via gravity where the wine ages on its lees and undergoes a slow, late malolactic fermentation. The wine is gently racked and lightly filtered before bottling. The result is a profound expression of terroir for the price-to-quality we always strive to bring you here at SommSelect.
The 2013 Les Vignots displays a dark garnet core with a touch of light garnet on the rim. Intense aromatics of wildflowers and crushed black stones give way to deep red and black plum and red cherry mingled with earth-driven aromas of wet forest, dried black mushrooms, a touch of leather, crushed limestone and wet clay. The dense, concentrated wine boasts firm tannins, classic to Pommard, wrapped in fruit reminiscent of the nose along with a touch of pomegranate, a touch of leather and intense earth and rocky minerality on the mid-palate that reveals a touch of spice, and a long, finish dominated by crushed black rocks. Although this wine is a mere baby now, it is delicious in its youth with the right food. With that said, this wine will only begin to glimpse its brilliance in another 3-4 years and will peak between 2020 to 2035, and beyond if cellared properly. This wine drinks as beautifully as any Premier Cru in Pommard and will reveal a true treasure in your cellar in years to come. To experience a bottle in its youth, remove the cork an hour prior and serve at 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems alongside this
Braised Lamb with Squash and Onion Sauce.
