Pommard
Les Vaumuriens 2018
The little village of Pommard is jealously guarded by its vineyards, on the flanks of the slope.
The fame of the nectar produced here goes back centuries: for indeed, as long ago as the Middle Ages,
the wines of Pommard were being shipped to the Popes of Avignon…
Origin
Between Beaune and Volnay are the vast vineyards of Pommard, extending out on either side of a monumental coomb. This gives rise to two types of wine: from vines grown on the hill on the Beaune side, and from those originating in the slopes and ‘plunging’ down towards Volnay.
This is the side on which Les Vaumuriens can be found, resting on a mixture of clay and limestone. The soil gives the wine a solid attack in the mouth, and a great elegance at the finish. In old French – and the term is entirely appropriate in this case – ‘Vaumuriens’ describes a narrow, steep-sided valley very high up the hill. The plot is very steep and hilly, and is located in one of the coolest areas of the appellation.
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot noir
Soils: clay soil rich in iron oxide.
Orientation: East / North-East
Surface area under vine: 0.4338 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 32 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 45 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 14 September 2018.
The grapes were handpicked. They were sorted a first time in the vineyard and again on the sorting table when they arrived at the winery.
At the winery: the grapes were 50% destemmed but not crushed (they were left whole) and were gravity-fed into tanks. Maceration with 50% whole bunches of 19 days of which 4 days cold (12 ° C): Fermentation used indigenous yeasts only (no additives such as enzymes or tannins were used).Vinification without sulfur. 2 punchings of the cap.
Ageing
Maturation: aged on the lees for 16 months with no racking using a proportion of 35% new French oak barrels.
Barrels: French oak barrels that had been toasted at low temperatures for a long time to impart a very delicate touch of oak to the wine.
Bottling
Bottling: The wine was bentonite fined and very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity in March 2020.
Number of bottles: 2,730.
Vintage
2018, abundance and excellence
After a winter that was almost too mild, the vintage was notable for two contrasting periods. Spring was sunny and totally devoid of frost, despite some localized episodes of hail, which had major impact on certain plots on the Côte de Nuits, which were hit in June. Then the summer was dry and hot, blocking the ripening process in places. Picking began early, with exceptionally abundant fruit in tip-top condition, offering the potential for some very fine wines.
Ageing potential: 10 years and more.
Tasting notes
The color is bright garnet red. The very fresh nose exudes floral aromas and small red fruits enhanced with some toasted notes in its youth. On the palate, this gourmet wine reveals a very fruity and fatty mouth.
