Pinot Noir comes in a wonderfully diverse set of iterations, and this truth is made abundantly clear if you have the opportunity to visit the Pinot homeland of Burgundy. It is a revelation to taste wines from different estates that sit within a few meters of each other and yet present remarkably different expressions. Often we focus on the more ephemeral, elegant, and “pretty” side of the road at SommSelect: we just so happen to love this style. But, sometimes the occasion calls for a deeper, richer, more sultry Burgundy expression, and that is exactly what is on the docket today. Château de Pommard’s eponymous “Clos Marey-Monge” is a monopole (single-owner) vineyard that produces an unabashedly robust, spice-driven, richly textured Pinot Noir. Let’s call it a “winter” Pinot: At almost 10 years old, it has abundant layers of black-red fruit, baking spice, and old-school earth. This is a nostalgia-inducing, wrap-you-in-a-warm-blanket Burgundy, and it is just what the season calls for!
At nearly 300 years old, the Château de Pommard is one of the oldest continuously operating wineries in Burgundy. True, the history of this famous region goes back two thousand years, but for much of that time, most of the vineyards were owned and operated by either the Dukes of Burgundy, the French crown, or the Catholic church. The Benedictine and Cistercian monastic orders were crucial in establishing vineyard maps, winemaking techniques, and generally shepherding Burgundian winemaking through the Medieval era. Then came a string of wars and the estates changed hands many times; throw in the French Revolution and you can see why most of the famous domaines today are rarely more than a century old.
Not so at the Château de Pommard, which has been producing wine under the same label since its founding in 1726. And it is not just the impressive building and cellars that have this distinction, the walled vineyard—known as a clos in French—that surrounds the château has also been part of the winery for its entire history, and it happens to be the largest monopole vineyard in the Côte d’Or. The vines in “Clos Marey-Monge” are mostly between 30 and 80 years old. This UNESCO-protected site also has some unique geological features: Parts of the vineyard sit atop an ancient, dry riverbed, which means that along with the classic mix of limestone and clay, you also find pockets of alluvial gravel and sand. Indeed, the team at Château de Pommard has identified seven distinct terroirs in their “Clos.” This special mix of soil leads to a dense, layered Pinot with a healthy dose of exotic spices and earth.
Although steeped in history, this estate is not content to be stuck in the past. Innovations are always under consideration, and the most important recent one is the conversion to organic and biodynamic farming. The process began almost a decade ago and they are now fully certified. Winemaking is both modern and hands-off: Fruit is fully destemmed, the juice is gravity fed to stainless steel tanks for a weeks long fermentation and maceration, then the wine is pneumatic pressed and racked into barrels (about 30% new) for 24 months of aging. With almost ten years of age this deep, brooding beauty is ready to go after a brief decant. Serve cool, in a large Burgundy stem, and settle into myriad layers of blackberry, currant, Morello cherry, cinnamon, clove, roasted coffee, anisette, mint, and forest floor. The texture is sappy and rich, but there is plenty of mineral backbone and the tannins are soft but still very present. Enjoy with hearty stews and roasts, especially a classic beef bourguignon, and you’ll be warm and immensely satisfied throughout the holidays and the winter months ahead!
