2016 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux

Community Tasting Notes (6) Avg Score: 92.6 points

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  3/19/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points

  DIVA Burgundy Tasting; 3/19/2024-3/20/2024 (Beaune): Walkaround tasting with producers. Broad array of near graceful cherry aromas and flavors with some black plum, well spiced and meaty with Pommard muscle that is elegant and well toned. Dense, very long finish, slightly firm now, better from 2026, 93-94 point potential.

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  4/18/2023 - remyworldpeace Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Maturing very nicely. Darker fruits, cherry blackberry, raspberry. Peppery with warm spices and cedar on finish. Again good acidic balance. Will keep aging very nicely. 94+

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  11/6/2022 - Alex Barbera Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Pomp, Samtkissen, plüschig

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  2/20/2022 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Sweet pinot fruit with strawberry. more towards wild ones. Fruit with restraint. Very good balance but yet to unfold. Great length. Give it another 5 years at least.

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  1/11/2018 - nskelsey wrote: 89 Points

  I’ve been buying Clos des Epeneaux every year since 2001 and I have to say this is the weirdest one to date and don’t quite know where to begin (it was a barrel sample so it is possible the finished article may be slightly different). Throughout the tasting I kept going back to it and, to be frank, got more baffled with every glug. 2016 was the vintage from hell for many throughout the Cote d’Or (frost, hail, mildew, frogs and locusts - not the last two!) and anyone farming biodynamically was really up against it and for the fourth year running Clos des Epeneaux lost around 80% of its crop, although to be honest its testament to Paul Zinetti’s skills they actually made anything at all. On the nose it’s wonderfully fragrant and then onto the palate where the dark red fruits are oh so smooth and supple and it all slips down so easily. But wait; where is the crunch? Where are the minerally, earthy layers? Where the hell is the tannin! You could be fooled into thinking Comte Armand had developed a new line of Pommard Nouveau. 75% of what should be there is there, but the other 25% has gone missing; it’s like your car has just lost a cylinder and you haven’t really noticed until you try and accelerate and not a lot happens. It’s one thing to say that complexity will come with bottle age, but you need the underlying raw material for that to happen and I simply don’t think this wine has got that. There is a standing joke in our family when it comes around to en primeur time that questions whether I will actually still be around to drink what I’m buying (it’s a serious point), but my son’s immediate comment on first tasting this was, “Well, you won’t be dead by the time this is ready”! Clos des Epeneaux traditionally needs a good 10-15 years before it hits it’s drinking window (the 2002 still isn’t ready), but the 2016 I could literally have taken home, drunk it and enjoyed it. Dare I say it, but I reckon this will be ready within 6 years, maybe even earlier. As always I’ve bought a case, but if I’m honest I feel it’s the most insubstantial Clos since the 2003, which also was rather one-dimensional; by no means bad wines, just not hitting the heights they usually do. The various importers of this wine certainly sing it’s praises so maybe I’m wrong (mind you they want to sell it); the good thing is I’m not going to have to wait too long before I see whether I’m right or not! Estimated maturity: 2022+

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