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Wine Description
The Story
For centuries Pommard has been considered the typical burgundy : deep red in colour, powerfully aromatic, solid and trustworthy. The very name Pommard has a generous ring to it and fills the mouth as it fills the glass. Pommard with its smiling vineyards lies between Beaune and Volnay where the Côte de Beaune makes a slight turn towards Autun. These lands formerly belonged to the Dukes of Burgundy, to religious houses including the abbey of Cîteaux, or to old families such as the Marey-Monge family. As early as the Middle Ages, Pommard was thought of as the flower of Burgundy wines - the wine to which all others were compared. The appellation, one of the first AOC to be so designated (1936), grows only red wines from the Pinot Noir grape.
On the lower ground the soil is ancient alluvium. Mid-slope, the clay-limestone soils are well drained thanks to the inclusion of rock debris. Higher still are Jurassic (Oxfordian) marls, brown calcic soils, and brown limestone soils. In places, the soil is reddened by the presence of iron. Exposure : south or east. Altitudes : 250 to 330 metres.
Beware of preconceived notions. The fame of Pommard in the 19th century earned it the image of a wine that is both forceful and virile. In reality, time, terroir and methods of vinification have all combined to create a more subtle reality, a wine that is both richer and more sensitive. Its colour is the deep, dark red with mauve highlights which caused Victor Hugo to speak of it as «night in combat with day». Its aromas are redolent of blackberry, bilberry, or gooseberry, cherry pit and ripe plum. Often, wild and feline notes develop with age. At full maturity, it tends towards leather, chocolate and pepper. It needs to be given time to open up to its fullest extent and to display its mouth-filling texture, its firm but delicate structure, its fruit-filled mouth, and its chewy tannins, which by then will be properly smoothed down. A « rich » wine ? Certainly.
This illustrious representative of the Côte de Beaune with its dense and massive tannins revels in furred or feathered game, braised or roasted, which will find in Pommard (and especially in the Premiers Crus) an invaluable collaborator. Thick cut beefsteak, lamb, or stewed poultry will respond to its firm-textured tannins and concentrated aromas. It is a natural partner for cheeses with well-developed flavours : Époisses, Langres and Soumaintrain, but also Comté.
Serving temperature : 14 to 16 °C.
Vintage 2004
2004 VINTAGE in Burgundy
2004 will be remembered as the year of wonderful surprises. The month of September was hot, dry and sunny contributing to an excellent harvest which in turn gave birth to fruity, elegant wines.
The harvest started on the 13th September in Burgundy, the Mâconnais and the Côte Chalonnaise during a long awaited spell of mild weather following a summer characterised by climatic instability.
These conditions slowed down the colouring of the grapes, disturbed the start of ripening and provided ideal conditions for the development of oidium. Luckily the return of a long period of warmth and sun from the beginning of September onwards accelerated the ripening process with a sharp increase in sugars.
This summery weather accompanied by a warm drying wind also allowed for the vines to maintain a satisfactory sanitary state. The hailstorms unfortunately destroyed a number of important parcels in the Mâconnais and in the vineyards of the Côte d?Or at different stages of their vegetative cycle. Contrary to 2003, nature showed herself to be kind and the wine-growers had to go ahead with intensive green harvesting to control the yields, taking off the damaged grapes or leaf-thinning.
In mid-september estimations put the forthcoming harvest at about 10% above that of an average harvest.
Although the particularly successful 2002 and 2003 vintages are tasting beautifully at the moment, it is still to early to define the profile for the 2004 vintage.
We will have to wait until after various tastings in November in Beaune, Chablis and in the Auxerrois region before getting a preliminary idea of the qualities of the 2004 harvest.