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 Vintage1997 Label 1 of 156 
TypeRed
ProducerComte Armand (web)
VarietyPinot Noir
Designationn/a
VineyardClos des Epeneaux
CountryFrance
RegionBurgundy
SubRegionCôte de Beaune
AppellationPommard 1er Cru

Drinking Windows and Values
Drinking window: Drink between 2006 and 2014 (based on 4 user opinions)
Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Comte Armand Pommard Clos des Epeneaux on the Wine Market Journal.

Community Tasting History

Community Tasting Notes (average 90.9 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 33 notes) - hiding notes with no text

 Tasted by acyso on 3/20/2023 & rated 90 points: Clos des Epeneaux survey (Chicago, IL): Others at the table liked this more than I did. It was impressive for a 1997, so there's a handicap, but I found it ripe and quite fleshy, and appreciably missing the acidity that defined all the other wines at the table tonight (even the 2015, arguably). The fruit is clean and there are no mulchy notes to point out here, but this just didn't feel as precise as those other wines tonight. There's no denying that this wine was showing very well tonight, though. (1478 views)
 Tasted by RayOB on 3/17/2023 & rated 93 points: Drank at 67
Incredible depth and nose (547 views)
 Tasted by maxim on 8/15/2021 & rated 88 points: Past its prime. (1549 views)
 Tasted by hsacks on 9/5/2020 & rated 93 points: Deep red color. Aromas of black fruits, raw meat, mushroom and smoke. Ripe, nicely-structured fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length and still ample ripe tannins. Powerful and complex on the palate. Impressively intact and fresh. This 23 year old wine actually took about a half an hour to fully open up. A truly great effort from the 1997 vintage! (1887 views)
 Tasted by Sean Tay on 4/7/2020: Perfumed, aromatic, red/black fruits, mushroom, leather. Third and last bottle with similar notes. (1901 views)
 Tasted by Sean Tay on 8/30/2019: Drinking very well. Medium+ tannin and medium acidity. Red fruits, with secondary notes of smoke, toast. Tasting at Chef Kang Michelin. (1601 views)
 Tasted by Sean Tay on 6/15/2019 & rated 90 points: Pommard indeed is a wine meant for long ageing in the cellar. Black fruits, leather, smoke, cedar. It can be kept easily another 5 years. Easy drinking, pair with cheese. (1633 views)
 Tasted by Keith Levenberg on 1/23/2019 flawed bottle: Dumped on account of apparent V.A. (4006 views)
 Tasted by Goldstone on 11/12/2017 & rated 91 points: Dinner at the White House (The White House, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong): Still densely opaque dark red just lightening at the edges. Nose is quite high-toned on initial entry, very savoury and almost Bovril, new shoe leather, red strawberry fruit, a slight BBQ sweet sauce hint - complex and intriguing. Palate is smooth and warmly welcoming but with a balancing mineral edge. Strong savoury note... almost a dilute Bovril. Cranberry and passion fruit stone tartness on the back end. Very warm and rounded on the finish. Good length. (2566 views)
 Tasted by Rechrom on 4/7/2017 & rated 92 points: Decanted two hours. Nice nose with dark fruits and herbs. Good on the palate with cherry and savory flavors and some developing tertiary notes. A bit thin and astringent on the finish. Nice bottle, unlikely to improve as the developing nuance does not seem to be enough to offset the fading fruit. (2577 views)
 Tasted by cardsandwine on 6/20/2015: A bit tight on the first sip, but it opened nicely over the next hour. The fruit became more vibrant (typical of the vintage) and refined with each sip. I found the finish to be a bit short. Like the 1997 vintage in Barolo, I think the best years for this vintage are behind it and in my opinion should be consumed now. (3896 views)
 Tasted by Rechrom on 2/22/2015 & rated 92 points: Nice bottle. Cork saturated, wine vibrant and full of flavor. Zippy acidity that is balanced by a noise of dark berries, leather, some herb and smoke notes, dark fruit on an acidic palate that works very well with a meal, and is integrated enough alone. Some tannins remain. Still fairly youthful, this might get much better, or it the structure and acidity might win out. But this has at least a few years left. (4076 views)
 Tasted by Atreyu on 11/2/2014 & rated 89 points: Quite intense with smoke and high acid but sufficient sweet fruit. A little angular with harsh tannin. A very good effort for the vintage. (4032 views)
 Tasted by Rechrom on 11/15/2013 & rated 91 points: Cork saturated but came out whole. Decanted then drunk over next three hours. Brick red with a lovely nose berry and herb. Tart cherry and leather on the palate, acid zip and some tannins. I think the fruit will last, and the structure remains, so good for many more years and likely to improve over where it is now. (4192 views)
 Tasted by mnh on 5/16/2012 & rated 95 points: This bottle exceptional (3972 views)
 Tasted by Captain Haddock on 2/21/2012 & rated 91 points: Magnum. See my previous note. Similar, but slightly gamier showing this time. Opened and tasted in the morning, drunk in the evening, which allowed it to be at its best. (3673 views)
 Tasted by locovino on 12/8/2011 & rated 90 points: Here is a lovely Burgundy which seems to be opening up nicely for current drinking. Slightly hazy brilliant red in the glass with a nose of red cherries, some spice and minerals. Still firmly tannic in the mouth but with a round sweetness which knits eveyrthing together. Nice finish of pomegranate. (3451 views)
 Tasted by Captain Haddock on 10/24/2011 & rated 90 points: From magnum. Definitely benefits from decanting for a couple of hours at least. As the acidity receded and the wine broadened out and sweetened in the glass, it developed a lovely nose with some raspberry fruit and rose petal notes. Decent length. Very enjoyable now, or over the next 5 years. (3372 views)
 Tasted by James Arthur on 12/31/2010: Rather rustic, not that well developed. Not as obviously flabby as most 97s, but not up to the Jadot 97s either. B+, at best. (1464 views)
 Tasted by Jeff W on 3/18/2010: I find myself warming more to this well balanced, full, and assertive wine. Was the bad experience I had two years ago just a bad bottle or bad timing? It's certainly in a better place now, showing power and authority, and it will certainly benefit from decanting, both to bring out the somewhat grainy tannins, and for the considerable sediment. vg (3216 views)
 Tasted by the godfather on 7/11/2009 & rated 93 points: Wow, knockout nose, black cherry and an amazing woodiness, full bodied burg, drink up (3009 views)
 Tasted by Jeff W on 4/17/2009: Interestingly, quite a different experience from the bottle I had in November, and a more enjoyable one. This bottle has a more mature looking colour, the red starting to fade. The prominent acidity I noted before is not present, there is fruit, and a better balance. The tannins, however, remain as before - grainy and succulent, and quite dominant. g+ (2952 views)
 Tasted by Jeff W on 11/3/2008: Nice nose of mushrooms and forest. Youthful colour. On the palate acidity and tannin dominate. The tannins are good, but there is perhaps not quite enough fruit for the acidity. Enjoyable for the nose and the finish, but otherwise lacks balance. g- (2950 views)
 Tasted by BailliSacks on 7/26/2008 & rated 90 points: Top of cork red and moldy, cork fully red but not saturated. Wine has almost no fruit. Strong acidity and tannins, though tannins are soft and mature. With airtime, broadens to expose big complex dirt/earthy flavors, similar to those of the morel mushrooms in the risotto. Also smoke and turned vegetables. Quite quite nice, and rather different from memories of this wine in earlier years. The fruit is all but gone, the tannins are soft but quite present. Based on this bottle alone, I'd say no reason to hold any longer -- but this bottle may have suffered slightly accelerated aging, judging by the cork's condition. (2723 views)
 Tasted by Rangstrom on 3/24/2007 & rated 89 points: The initial sip was all grip; never mind the vintage, Comte Armand does not make wimpy wines. Color was a clear and youthful cherry red with a hint of bricking. I opened the bottle 90 minutes before dinner and smelled mostly heat and black fruits. As time passed, red fruits--cherry and cranberry--came to the fore. Taste followed scent with some mushroomy undertones joining in. Not much in the way of spice.
This bottle was not as primary as it looked and a few more years might help intergrate the tannins. Not sure the fruits will keep up though. Medium finish and, with enough air, mostly balanced (more acidity please). Enjoyable with a ribeye topped with spicy mushrooms.
Not falling apart, but probably will not greatly reward additional cellaring. (3060 views)
 Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine...

Professional 'Channels'
By Jasper Morris
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy, Domaine du Comte Armand: Clos des Epeneaux, Pommard (10/1/2018)
(Pommard Clos des Epeneaux 1er Cru, Domaine du Comte Armand, Red) Subscribe to see review text.
By Jasper Morris
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy, 1997: Twenty Years On (6/1/2017)
(Pommard Clos des Epeneaux 1er Cru, Domaine du Comte Armand, Red) Subscribe to see review text.
The World of Fine Wine, December 2008, Issue #22
(Comte Armand, Clos des Epeneaux) Login and sign up and see review text.
By Allen Meadows
Burghound, 4th Quarter, 2008, Issue #32
(Domaine Clos des Epeneaux (Comte Armand) Pommard Clos des Epeneaux 1er Cru Red) Subscribe to see review text.
By Allen Meadows
Burghound (7/3/2008)
(Domaine du Comte Armand Pommard Clos des Epeneaux 1er Cru Red) Subscribe to see review text.
By Jasper Morris
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy, Pommard Clos des Epeneaux: An astounding vertical (A Retrospective Report) (7/1/2001)
(Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux, Domaine du Comte Armand, Red) Subscribe to see review text.
By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, March/April 1999, IWC Issue #83
(Domaine Comte Armand Pommard Clos des Epeneaux) Subscribe to see review text.
By Bill Nanson
Burgundy-Report (8/1/2007)
(Comte Armand Pommard Clos des Epeneaux) (Magnum) The nose is more interesting than the the rather ‘harder’ and stand-offish stance this wine often shows; high-toned with plenty of dried fruits - more interesting that the standard 1997 ‘roasted’ fruits - plus freshness and depth. The palate is sweet with grainy tannin and is very long finishing. It’s clearly a very young, but surprised me in that there is more charachter here than I find in many vintages of this wine.
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy and The World of Fine Wine and Burghound and Vinous and Burgundy-Report. (manage subscription channels)

CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles)

Comte Armand

Producer website

Pinot Noir

Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.


Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.

Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.

The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.

Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.

In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.

With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.

Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.

France

Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)

Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings

2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.com

Burgundy

Les vins de Bourgogne (Bureau interprofessionnel des vins de Bourgogne) (and in English)

Burgundy - The province of eastern France, famous for its red wines produced from Pinot Noir and its whites produced from Chardonnay. (Small of amounts of Gamay and Aligoté are still grown, although these have to be labeled differently.) The most famous part of the region is known as the Cote d'Or (the Golden Slope). It is divided into the Cote de Beaune, south of the town of Beaune (famous principally for its whites), and the Cote de Nuits, North of Beaune (home of the most famous reds). In addition, the Cote Chalonnaise and the Maconnais are important wine growing regions, although historically a clear level (or more) below the Cote d'Or. Also included by some are the regions of Chablis and Auxerrois, farther north.

Burgundy Report | Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne - na stejné téma od Heleny Baker

# 2013 Vintage Notes:
* "2013 is a vintage that 20 years ago would have been a disaster." - Will Lyons
* "low yields and highly variable reds, much better whites." - Bill Nanson
* "Virtually all wines were chaptalised, with a bit of sugar added before fermentation to increase the final alcohol level." - Jancis Robinson

# 2014 Vintage Notes:
"We have not had such splendid harvest weather for many years. This will ensure high quality (fragrant, classy and succulent are words already being used) across the board, up and down the hierarchy and well as consistently from south to north geographically apart from those vineyards ravaged by the hail at the end of June." - Clive Coates

# 2015 Vintage Notes:
"Low yields and warm weather allowed for ample ripeness, small berries and an early harvest. Quality is looking extremely fine, with some people whispering comparisons with the outstanding 2005 vintage. Acid levels in individual wines may be crucial." - Jancis Robinson

# 2017 Vintage Notes:
"Chablis suffered greatly from frost in 2017, resulting in very reduced volumes. As ever, the irony seems to be that what remains is very good quality, as it is in the Côte d’Or. Cooler nights across the region have resulted in higher-than-usual acidity, with good conditions throughout the harvest season allowing for ripe, healthy fruit." - Jancis Robinson

# 2018 Vintage Notes:
"The most successful region for red Burgundy in 2018 was the Côte de Beaune. The weather was ideal in this area, with just enough sunlight and rain to produce perfectly balanced wines naturally." - Vinfolio

Côte de Beaune


Côte de Beaune (Bureau interprofessionnel des vins de Bourgogne)


Vineyard maps on weinlagen.info

Pommard 1er Cru

Maps of vineyards on weinlagen.info

 
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