2014 Pommard Les Pezerolles

Above Épenots. Seductive rich fruit. Smooth and melted with such lovely supple texture. This is really lovely, full and rounded but with backbone. GV (JH)

Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2014 tasting, the 2014 Pommard 1er Cru les Pezerolles from A-F Gros was a wine that was affected by hail, though when I tasted it from barrel I thought the wine had come through the trauma. However, in bottle it looks as if the new oak (80%) has won out over the fruit. It has a simple, oaky and rather dusty nose. The palate is dominated by dry tannin, very woody with a dusting of dark chocolate toward the finish. It tastes as if the fruit has receded away. Tasted September 2017. Oct 2017, www.robertparker.com

The 2014 Pommard 1er Cru les Pezerolles was severely affected by hail, damaging 80 of the crop. Perhaps that is one reason why the new oak is quite high at 80 (although this is part of the domaine's regimen). The nose handles the new wood well: red berry fruit, touches of sage and rosemary, quite nicely defined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, ripe tannin. This is well balanced and a little creamy in texture with impressive depth on the finish. This is actually a cuvée that does seem well integrated with the oak and it does not encroach upon the terroir expression on the finish to excess. It should be subsumed with 4-6 years of bottle age. Chapeau!