2012 Pommard Jarollieres

(the crop level here was just 14 hectoliters per hectare, according to Patrick Landanger): Ruby-red. High-toned aromas of licorice, tobacco, shoe polish and fresh herbs; with its roasted notes and cooler tones, this suggests a wider range of fruit ripeness than the estate's Volnays. Tight and lean but nicely delineated, with youthfully simple black cherry, menthol and spearmint flavors showing limited sweetness and personality today. Finishes with dusty tannins. I wanted a bit more nuance.

Dark cherries, plums, hard candy, cloves and menthol all flesh out in the 2012 Pommard Les Jarollières. One of the more explosive wines in the range, the Jarollières is also quite supple and layered, which should make it accessible with just a few years in bottle. The layered, voluptuous style is hugely appealing.

The 2012 Pommard 1er Cru Les Jarollieres comes from a 1.44-hectare parcel of vines, the oldest dating back to 1925. It has a more serious and introspective bouquet than the gaggle of buoyant Volnays. The palate is very smooth with silky tannins that take over and define the foursquare and yet fresh finish. It is typical Pommard in terms of its structure, one could almost say its aloofness, and I suggest that it will require 2 or 3 years in bottle. Domaine de la Pousse d'Or is one of the most picturesque estates in Burgundy, perched imperiously on the southern flank of Volnay village. With his hounds encircling his legs, I met with Patrick Landanger who became proprietor back in 1997 due to the untimely passed of Gerard Potel. His intentions of becoming a silent shareholder were changed and having acquired the remaining shares from the Potel family, found himself the sole proprietor. He got the bit between his teeth, expanding the domaine's holdings up unto Corton and down into Puligny, converting the vineyard to organic viticulture with an eye on biodynamics. We tasted the wines in his multi-tiered cuverie as assembled blend taken directly from vat. Patrick was keen to stress his dedication to sorting, first via a vibrating table, then a second by eye and hand, then electronically. The result is very pure fruit that fortunately is not taken to the extreme so that it erases the nuances of each terroir. Moreover, I appreciate the prudent use of new oak here. This is another estate, like Marquis d'Angerville, that has a ceteris paribus approach i.e. it is maintained at 30% so that those nuances of terroir can be observed without being skewed by the level of wood. There have been occasions, most notably apropos the 2009 vintage, where I felt that there was a touch of over-ripeness evident in the wines. In 2012 I only discerned one cuvee that exhibited similar traits, the Bonnes-Mares, which came across rather ostentatious compared to the far more refined Clos-de-la-Roche. Otherwise, these 2012s from La Pousse d'Or are worth seeking out. Importers: North Berkeley Wine, Oakland, CA; tel. (510) 336-9880; a Peter Vezan Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93