3 Secrets of Pommard Pinot Noir
Do you love red Burgundy wine from Pommard?
Of course you do!
Pommard Pinot Noir is a closely held secret among those who love red wine from Burgundy, France.
Pommard Pinot Noir
What is Pommard Pinot Noir?
The Burgundy region of France has been famous for centuries.
Mostly only for two reasons.
Pinot Noir.
Chardonnay.
And there are two key regions in Burgundy, France.
The Cote de Beaune and The Cote de Nuit
Now the red Pinot Noir grape and the white Chardonnay grape are grown in both regions.
Yet “collectors” and “wine experts” through the centuries have given the highest rankings to Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Cote de Nuit.
And to them, the best Chardonnay comes from the Cote de Beaune.
Yet you can also find excellent Pinot Noir from Cote de Beaune, especially if it comes from Pommard.
Pommard for Pinot Noir
Pommard is one of the top regions in the Cote de Beaune for growing the Pinot Noir grape.
When I was first learning Burgundy grape characteristics, I asked one of my less credentialed teachers about Pinot Noir from Pommard.
“That’s tricky …” she said, trailing off.
Well, to be honest, Pommard is not tricky at all.
Pommard is the most full-bodied red wine of Burgundy’s Cote de Beaune
This might be what she meant by “tricky,” since the “stereotype” of the Cote de Beaune is the production of more “feminine” wines with fresh bright red cherry flavors.
Wines from the Cote de Nuits are expected to be deeper, darker, and with an aura of mystery.
They are velvety and round with intense red- and dark-fruit flavors and ripe tannins.
I would not describe them as “feminine” in the traditional sense.
Now just having seen the film “Colette” and also read her biography, if Pommard was a literary character it would be like Colette.
Seductive. Feminine. Yet firm and always in control.
Characteristics of Pommard Pinot Noir
These are wines meant to improve with age.
In time, you will find flavors of leather and chocolate.
Depending on your personal palate and whom you talk to, Pommard wines can have rustic notes on the palate.
Some might call them “classic big Burgundies.”
As contrasted to a delicate young Cote de Beaune Bourgogne wine you might pair with duck, these are wines for braised beef.
Premier Cru Pommard Pinot Noir
The Pommard appellation includes 28 Premier Cru vineyards recognized for producing exceptional wines.
Many experts have actually memorized each of these 1st Cru regions, and know the characteristics of them all.
In this regard, MAPS are very helpful.
You will be able to see how – and why – the specific location of each plot can determine the quality of the grapes.
These include factors like the location on the slope.
Also VISITING the producers in the area and tasting the wines from their region can be of enormous help.
For example, Domaine Anne Parent has several top properties in Pommard and elsewhere in Burgundy.
Taking Pommard Pinot Noir on a Road Show
Thanks to the dedication of New York’s French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF), Pommard has come to New York!
And other French wine regions as well.
This French wine program at FIAF is offered several times a year.
Each time, a wine theme is presented, along with wines, producers, and food from that region.
This program was called “An Aromatic Wine Journey Through Burgundy”
I have been to a few of these FIAF programs and the structure is similar.
First, there is a panel of producers or representatives.
There is an emcee … for the last few times they have been editors from Wine Enthusiast magazine.
There is usually a set of wines to taste and food such as cheese, bread, or dessert to pair with the wine.
Exploring Pommard Pinot Noir and Other Burgundy Wines
On this particular night, we had a few wines to try before the Pommard Pinot Noir.
Neil Ruane, Export Manager for the USA from Boisset, was the first to speak about the delicious Boisset wines he brought.
The first was the Chateau de Rully 2016.
This is a white wine from Rully in the Cote Chalonnaise.
Rully makes twice as much red wine as white wine.
The wine was fresh, crisp, and delicious.
The second wine was a red from the commune of Mercurey, also in the Cote Chalonnaise.
This was the 2015 Domaine de la Bressande,
Lots of fresh red cherry and very delicious, from a very old domain.
Pommard Pinot Noir
A Window into A Pommard Pinot Noir based Chateau
The next four wines were produced from the owners of one of the oldest domains in Pommard.
Michael Baum is CEO and Owner of Chateau de Pommard.
He represents the fifth family to own the Chateau since its inception.
And as a master storyteller, he explained the history in a very vivid fashion.
From his name, you might correctly guess he was American.
He made his fortune in a variety of high tech companies in San Francisco.
This is what allowed him to buy, and more importantly renovate, the Chateau de Pommard.
This includes improvements in the vineyard as well as the Chateau itself.
One example of an improvement is that Chateau de Pommard is now in the process of turning itself biodynamic.
Another example is the list of activities and ways to visit you can find on their website.
During the course of his talk, Michael also explained that the winery is very child-friendly.
This means that children have tutored “juice” tastings instead of wine.
Stories about the Chateau de Pommard
French Chateaux have many stories to tell.
Drama. Drama. Drama.
In one of the rooms of the Chateau, one of the family owners suddenly fell down dead.
According to Michael, a sister entered the room shortly afterward.
Though startled, she reached for her watercolors/paints and quickly sketched the grim scene.
That work of art can be scene in another chateau in the region today.
Pommard is filled with beautiful chateaux you can visit. One of great interest can be found in Domaine Parent.
Wines of Chateau de Pommard
While you might think these are all Pommard Pinot Noir wines, Chateau de Pommard produces an elegant white as well from vines in Ladoix.
We started with the Famille Carabello-Baum Ladoix Premier Cru “Les Grechons” 2015.
Then we moved on to the Chateau de Pommard Vivant 2015.
This was a Pommard Pinot Noir in the classic style, very delicious.
Following was the Chateau de Pommard Clos Marey Monge 2015.
This comes from a single vineyard, so it was very intense and concentrated.
A Wine to age.
The last wine was the Chateau de Pommard Clos Marey-Monge 2012.
Now these two wines we tasted side by side to study the effects of the vintage on the wine.
Wine Enthusiast EMCEE at French Institute Alliance Française
Wine Enthusiast emcee Matt DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen are the Entertaining and Lifestyle Editors at Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
They are also known as the World Wine guys, and did a great job at moderating the panel.
So when you go to Burgundy, be certain to put Pommard on your list as you travel up and down this gorgeous region.
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