2009 Domaine Nicolas Rossignol Pommard Chaponnieres 1er Cru

The 2009 Pommard Chaponnieres exhibits good up-front juiciness in its dark fruit, then turns quite a bit more mineral on the mid-palate. Sweet, spiced notes add depth and complexity on the finish. This is another pretty, medium-bodied Pommard to enjoy on the early side. The Chaponnieres was made from 100% destemmed fruit. Tasted from tank. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Nicolas Rossignol began picking on September 10th and brought in very ripe fruit, with natural alcohols in the 13.5% range. Rossignol used a higher percentage of stems than normal to give the wines a measure of freshness. The wines saw 20-24 days of cuvaison (with no cold soak) with one punchdown per day. New oak ranged from 15% for the villages to 33-50% for the 1ers. The wines were not racked during their time in barrel. Rossignol has an energy and passion that will take him far. His 2009s are a bit all over the place stylistically, though, and it appears that a distinct house style has yet to emerge. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet, various American importers, including: Toepfer Imports LLC, CO; tel. (303) 818-7640; Pas Mal Portfolio, NY; tel. (201) 569-4132