Burgundy Wine Club Dinner 2012 - Pommard

We were all so excited about this dinner - some of the best vineyards and producers of Pommard, along with a few other bottles. The wines were a terrific disappointment. The one I was most looking forward to, the 89 Comte Armand, was corked. The 91 was probably flawed in some way, and the 93 out of magnum was not close to being ready, and was a bit cloudy too. The 99s were rich and almost overripe. The only wine that I wanted to really spend any time with was the very lovely 98 Rugiens, and even that was not truly compelling to me, which is something that I don;t mind learning - it is entirely possible that I am not as much a fan of Pommard as I am of Volnay.

• 1989 Domaine Francois et Antoine Jobard Meursault 1er Cru Charmes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

  The wine of the night without any question whatsoever. A fabulous showing of a wine that is drinking perfectly right now. Pungent and fresh at the peak of maturity. The nose has a roasted sense to the pear fruit, which vanishes after a half hour and the wine becomes linear and entirely focused with a perfect melange of fruit and mineral. Elegant, plush while remaining in control, great acidity - just a mouthwatering wine that reminds everyone at the table to drink more old white Burgundy.

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• 1996 Domaine de Courcel Pommard 1er Cru Grand Clos des Épenots

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru

  Constricted and tightly wound, the acidity almost too much, but still pretty, with dark fruit and floral aromas. In the mouth the stoney mineral streak is prominent. The wine is very good, but probably needs another 5 years or so to unwind.

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• 1999 Domaine Billard-Gonnet Pommard 1er Cru Les Pèzerolles

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru

  Rich and ripe to the point of being syrupy, maple on the nose. The acidity is raspy, the wine is rustic and just doesn't seem very well made. Not harmonious, not complex, straight forward fruit that is borderline syrup. Not a good advertizement for this producer...

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• 1993 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru

  dense and impenetrable for most of 3 hours, and never really opened up. There are hints of something lovely, but the wine is simply not ready in the magnum format anyway. Some perfume emerges after while, but the wine is tight, inward. Time shows some animale undertones, but this bottle was in a disjointed state, with acid and alcohol not well integrated. There were questions from some drinkers about whether or not the wine was cloudier than it should be. I didn't think it cloudy, but it was not entirely transparent either. Some one poured a glass through a filter and the wine brightened some, but smelled and tasted the same. If I had another magnum I would leave it alone honestly for another 10 years.

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• 1989 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux Flawed

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru

  Corked. Really sucks.

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• 1991 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru

  There are clear signs of rot or mildew on the nose, which is musty and inexpressive. The wine was better with food, but the finish is cropped, stifled, and that doesn't change. Unsatisfying, not delicious, a disappointment. Perhaps a flawed bottle, perhaps just a wine affected by mildew.

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• 1999 Domaine de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru

  Delicious, but a bit too simple to be intriguing. Shows the ripe character of the vintage with plush sweet fruit, not entirely enough structure, and little complexity. Not compelling in any way.

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• 1998 Domaine de Montille Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru

  Complex aromas of dark fruit, brown sugar, musk, flowers. Lovely nose that changed and grew over several hours. Lovely on the palate with pretty fruit and complex secondary flavors, and a long finish that pauses and then sneaks back up. Exactly what it should be - complex, muscular, mineral driven, delicious.

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