Domaine Albert Boillot Pommard 1er Cru 'En Largilliere' 2022
Situated above the ‘Grands Epenots’, ‘En Largilliers’ is a relatively unknown premier cru. It sits between ‘Charmots’ and 'Pezerolles’, and just below ‘Noizons’, so it has pedigree! As its name implies, it has a high content of clay, meaning that produces deep, tight, earthy wines. Here it is showing juicy, dense blackcurrant fruit, good solid acidity and the linear tightness you would expect in its youth. Rose petals and violets, black pepper and spice. This one is worth your cellar space.
BURGUNDY 2022
After three successive high-quality but low-quantity vintages, winemakers in Burgundy are refilling their cellars with an excellent 2022 harvest.This is not to say that it was an easy ride. Once again, frost, heat and drought put stress on the growing season, but timing is everything, and the extreme weather did much less damage than in previous years.
Winters have been wet and mild for years now. The winter of 2021-22 was not, with less than average rainfall and seasonal temperatures. Under these ‘normal’ conditions, we would expect budburst in the first half of April. But summer-like conditions at the end of March forced the vines, especially Chardonnay, to bud early, and we went into frost season with tender green buds exposed. There were two nights in the coming week below zero, but damage was limited.
Spring conditions set in in mid-April, but Summer followed soon thereafter, dry with spiky heat waves. The vines went wild. Winemakers fought to keep the growth under control. And the fight continued until flowering, which happened a couple of weeks early in mid-May.
The warm, dry conditions led to nearly-perfect flowering. We saw for the first time the potential of a great crop, with lots of beautiful, full, well-formed grape bunches; and an early harvest, with fruit setting well ahead of schedule.
But the drought held, and the fear was that this beautiful fruit would shrivel on the vine. Finally, at the end of June, the rain came. Summer storms bring with them the risk of hail, so all eyes were on the sky as the storms were sometimes violent causing significant but limited hail damage. The rains were intermittent, but regular for the next weeks. The cumulative rainfall would not be enough to see the crop through to harvest, however.
The heat waves continued through the rains, and so the risk of fungal disease, usually associated with wet conditions, dried up. But temperatures spiked and dry conditions set in again. The grapes ripened in a full-blown heat wave. Winemakers had to keep a close eye on sugar levels, as the risk was that ripeness could gallop away at the last minute.
And then, just about the time when it looked like an over-ripe mid-August harvest was imminent, it rained again. And the producers were able to let that water absorb into the fruit, increasing the volume of juice that was ultimately harvested in the first week of September.
2022, both white and red, are showing real depth and ripeness. And while there was once again very little malic acid, the tartaric acid holds the balance and structure together. Early tastings in the barrel show enormous charm and vitality. Very promising.
POMMARD
COTE DE BEAUNE
Pommard lies between Beaune and Volnay where the Côte de Beaune makes a slight turn towards the Morvan. After Beaune, it is one of the larger vineyards. There are no grands crus, though there is a perennial debate about which of the best vineyards should be promoted. As in many of the best wine villages, the appellation is split by a combe with the village lying in the mouth of the valley. So here in Pommard, we speak of the north (Beaune) side vineyards and the south (Volnay) side vineyards. And that goes someway to explaining Pommard styles. But Pommard has a quirk: its best vineyards are not necessarily all situated on slopes. In fact many are in the flatland north of the village.
Produced only in the commune of Pommard, appellation Pommard includes 28 premiers crus.
Wines
Pommard has a reputation, forged in the 19th century, of being a massive beast of a wine. But look where it sits, between the south of Beaune and Volnay. Time, terroir and oenology have combined to show us a much more subtle Pommard, a wine that is richer and at the same time more elegant than its caricature. It can be deeply colored, and its berry fruit can be supported by cherry pit and plum. And yes it can develop wild aromas and chocolaty textures, but it will never be a tannic giant, but rather a full and gutsy, mouthwateringly rich, fruit-filled nugget.
Terroirs
On the lower slopes and flat ground, the soil is ancient alluvium. Mid-slope, the clay-limestone soils are well drained thanks to the inclusion of rock debris. Higher still are jurassic oxfordian marls, brown calcic soils, and brown limestone soils. In places, the soil is red with iron. Exposures are south or east, and altitudes range between 250 to 330 meters.
Color
Red wines only - Pinot Noir
Production surface area
1 hectare (ha) = 2.4 acres
321.69 ha (including 122.31 ha Premier Cru)
Food
Pommard's density is perhaps its most important feature when combining with food. Most will tell you that because it is so massive, it should be served with game. And is some cases this is correct. But you will find that braised and stewed meat and poultry work well, and the finesse of the wine can accent the rusticity of a simple stew. It is a natural partner for flavorful cheeses Époisses, Langres and Soumaintrain, but also Comté.
Appellations
On the label, the appellations 'Pommard' and 'Pommard 1er Cru' may be followed by the name of a specific vineyard, known as a climat.
The following climats are classified as premier cru:
Clos Blanc
Clos de la Commaraine
Clos de Verger
Clos des Epeneaux
Derrière Saint-Jean
En Largillière
La Chanière
La Platière
La Refène
Le Clos Micot
Le Village
Les Arvelets
Les Bertins
Les Boucherottes
Les Chanlins-Bas
Les Chaponnières
Les Charmots
Les Combes Dessus
Les Croix Noires
Les Fremiers
Les Grands Epenots
Les Jarolières
Les Petits Epenots
Les Pézerolles
Les Poutures
Les Rugiens Bas
Les Rugiens Hauts
Les Saussilles
The following climats are village wines from a single vineyard, know as a lieu-dit:
Chaffaud
Clos Beauder
Derrière Saint-Jean
En Boeuf
En Brescul
En Chiveau
En Mareau
En Moigelot
La Chanière
La Combotte
La Croix Blanche
La Croix PlanetLa Levrière
La Plante aux Chèvres
La Vache
Le Bas des Saussilles
Le Poisot
Les Chanlins-Bas
Les Chanlins-Hauts
Les Combes Dessous
Les Cras
Les LambotsLes Noizons
Les Perrières
Les Petits Noizons
Les Riottes
Les Tavannes
Les Vaumuriens-Bas
Les Vaumuriens-Hauts
Les Vignots
Rue au Porc
Trois Follots
Village