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1993 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (3/20/2023)
From the same lot as the bottle last week. Initially, this was very similar in profile -- clean red fruit, mature and showing the expected Pommard structure, with plenty of tannin but also fresh acids, but this bottle didn't seem to hold up as well as the night went on. The profile turned a little muddied and rusty. But for the first hour or two this was open -- it was a spot-on red Burgundy from one of my favourite vintages. (93 points) -
1997 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (3/20/2023)
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. (90 points) -
2000 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (4/25/2023)
Probably the best of the bunch tonight. The 2000 red Burgundies have been drinking very well for a few years now and don't really show many signs of fading, and this bottle was very much in that same vein. Almost fully resolved with a silky tannic finish, this is showing lots of secondary characteristics with a modest autumnal touch. The fruit is still fresh and shows no signs of browning or drying out. (93 points) -
2001 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (3/20/2023)
Very 2001, and very old school with its backwards tannins. Definitely drinks like what I would expect given everything on the label. I liked that this was probably in peak secondary form right now -- not much earthy/autumnal notes, but just mature, clean fruit. Great acidic cut (as expected from the vintage) with ample structure. (93 points) -
2002 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (4/25/2023)
Likely slightly heat-damaged. The nose shows some of the lovely red fruit of the vintage, but there's a muddied, brown element on the palate that never really went away even as the evening went on. (NR/flawed) -
2005 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (4/25/2023)
Surprisingly, a decent 2005 (which honestly is few and far between, and I'll throw in my editorial comment that it is one seriously charmless vintage very much like 1986 Bordeaux). This is actually quite close in profile to the 2009, but the fruit is darker and feels more subdued. Almost a leathery tannic note here, with plenty of grainy tannin that still needs to be resolved. Probably the wine with the longest-lived potential tonight, and that's because there's enough fruit here. (93 points) -
2009 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (4/25/2023)
Ripe, fleshy, and opulent, and in great balance with the structure here. I thought this was showing very well and in line with my expectations. The fruit is definitely a bit sweeter, but it doesn't show any roasted/overripe elements. A mix of black and red, with lots of tannic structure to go along with it. Undoubtedly this will be a long-lived edition. (93 points) -
2010 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (4/25/2023)
I was really hyped about this wine, expecting that the great vintage would yield a fantastic edition, but we never really got there. The nose was very 2010, with light red fruit and plenty of the expected elegance. On the palate, the acidity felt shrill and angular, and this never really rounded out over the course of the evening. Even at the end, the acidity felt out of balance. This didn't have quite the same weight and backwards structure that so many of the other vintages did either. A bit of an oddball in the context of this bottling. (90 points) -
2011 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (3/20/2023)
Hands down the lightest wine on the table tonight. The nose doesn't show very much green, but there is a modest herbal tinge overall here. On the palate though, this is clearly a product of the vintage -- so light and lacking the weight of the other wines on the table tonight. There's pretty red fruit, but with air and time, more of the green notes show up. Not bad for a 2011, but verticals be damned, I'm totally ok letting this one slide. (88 points) -
2012 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (4/25/2023)
From magnum (of course). A whiff of light red fruit at first, but the palate felt dull. This picked up with air, showing quite some stern structure and relatively coarse tannins. Feels somewhat thinning on the palate as well; not convinced this is a particularly strong showing of this bottle. Perhaps more time would allow the structure to soften up? In any case, I won't be opening any of my bottles for at least another five years. (90 points) -
2014 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (3/20/2023)
Initially, this was more stern and structured than the 2015 (which surprised everyone at the table). With air, the structure and density loosened up, and yielded a lovely, perfumed red fruit profile. Minerally, bright, and crisp, this doesn't have the fruit intensity of the 2015 (which I slightly preferred for its weight -- but I mean, I have a pretty Parkerized palate nowadays), and I don't think this will last as long as the 2015, but this is excellent now (with air or a decant) and should be for a good while. (93 points) -
2015 Comte Armand Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (3/20/2023)
Surprisingly light and lifted for a 2015, it wasn't until this saw more air that it picked up density and weight. But at the same time, it never lost that lifted elegance that in general, I really, really liked. The fruit profile is decidedly ripe (closest to the 1997 out of the wines tonight) but it's clean and doesn't have any prune/roasted elements all. Old school tannic structure, but not unapproachable now. (93 points)
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sounds like not that exciting of a night?
Best review I have seen of the 2005 and 2009. I have both. Have had both and was hoping for something, anything to happen beyond what I was experiencing in those wines. Hope springs eternal I guess. Too bad a 1999’was not part of the line-up. That wine is a knock out. No surprise there, really.
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Have a 6 pack of 2015 waiting to be opened. Good to see the review. Thanks for posting.
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Do these wines ever truly open up? I remember a 90 a few years back that was about as relaxed and expansive as a little red marble. Perfectly formed but completely unyielding.
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the 78 is killer.
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my opinion also. The Dunn of Pommard.
Great terroir, but had a long period of very oaky, extractive winemaking. Go back old enough and I’m sure you’ll hit good stuff from the era before.
Ugh. Makes me want to sell my 2010 of this
Coincidentally, Neal Martin just published an article on a small vertical of Comte Armand Clos des Epeneaux going back to the 1945. He was not impressed, although he did add the usual caveats about bottle variation, especially on the older vintages. The high was a 1971, followed by the 1985, and then dropping off rapidly.