Pommard
1er Cru Les Arvelets 2016
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 extends the vast vineyard of Pommard which unfolds on each side of a monumental combe.
The plot "Les Arvelets" is located at the exit of this valley on the north slope. Exposed south with a clay-limestone soil rich in iron oxide covered with alluvium and silt, this premier cru is the steepest of the appellation.
The Latin roots of the word "arvelet" refer to the presence of old fields, plowing land at this location.
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot noir
Soils: clay-limestone rich in iron oxide.
Orientation: South
Surface area under vine: 0.5158 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 44 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 45 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 26 September 2016.
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 completely destemmed but not crushed (they were left whole) and were gravity-fed into tanks. Maceration lasts around three weeks, with more or less frequent cap treading ‘by foot’. No œnological product of the yeast, enzyme or tannin variety is added, so as not to detract from such a precious terroir.
Ageing
Maturation: aged on the lees for 14 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 not fined but was very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity in December 2017.
Number of bottles: 2,030.
Vintage
2016 , small is beautiful!
Small volumes, but lovely fruit overall. This is expected to be a great vintage, confirmed by the first tastings in spring. Vintage 2016 offers fine surprises with wines of potentially high quality. White wines have fine fruit aromas, with good body and will be ready to drink while young whereas the red wines are powerful, tender, concentrated and will be ideal for ageing. The harvest was one-third down on average because of the frost that struck the region on 28 April, causing a lot of irreversible damage. This was all the more frustrating as the summer was very hot and sunny, resulting in very dense berries with thick skins, promising concentration and intense wines, but with low yields.
Ageing potential: from 6 to 10 years.
Tasting notes
The color is limpid and brilliant ruby red. The very charming nose exudes aromas of small red fruits and plums with some notes of sweet spices and undergrowth. On the palate, this generous and fresh wine reveals fine and silky tannins and a good length!
