2018 Pommard Grands Epenots

The wines, an “old-school” style of Pommard, age gloriously. Forget heft and hard tannins: this is elegant, red-fruited and pure Pinot, nevertheless with the appellation’s trademark concentration. The latest vintage to be bottled by the estate – 2018 – is now available. Grands Epenots – one of Pommard’s very finest sites – excelled in this ripe year. The warmth of the vintage has rounded out the tannins, yet the wine remains wonderfully fresh. Refined but powerful, with layers of cherry, earth and liquorice, this will blossom with time in the cellar. Lay it down and forget about it for at least three years. Intensely coloured, the 2018 Pommard Grands Epenots from Michel Gaunoux is an archetypal example of the house savoir-faire in this atypical vintage. This wine is all about balance between freshness and richness on the one hand, power and refinement on the other. The family’s rather large holding (1.74ha) in this Premier Cru perfectly captures the terroir. The nose is already quite expressive, displaying ripe dark cherries, blackcurrant and raspberry notes that evolve in the glass to a more earthy style, with liquorice and hints of spice. On the palate, it gains in complexity. Muscular, it’s concentrated with impressive power wrapped in velvety tannins. The finish is balanced and pure, lifted by distinctive acidity and a saline profile. This will take a few years to blossom and show its full potential, one to approach in three to five years, but built to age much longer.