Description
An impressive, fine-textured Premier Cru from Pommard in the Cote de Beaune area of Burgundy. It has all the flavour and depth of great Pommard, with classic finesse and freshness of the Pinot Noir grape. It’s very elegant, and is midweight rather than heavy or opulent as some Burgundian wines have now become, as the climate has changed and the style has verged towards richness. This particular Premier Cru, Clos des Arvelets, is an elongated vineyard that has a gentle slope facing southwest, and as a result is slightly less sun exposure than some of Pommard’s vineyards. While some Pommard wines can be a little rustic in style, this is therefore the opposite, it’s a Pinot Noir for the purists! It is delicious now and is perfumed with lovely red berry and cherry fruit aromas, so there is no need to decant it, but it will least till 2029 should you wish to cellar it. Made in very small quantities, it was bottled just for The Little Fine Wine Company in half bottles this year.
TASTING NOTE:
This excellent red Premier Cru has beautifully aromatic, perfumed black cherries and red berry fruit on the nose. It’s elegant and fresh, and immediately appealing! The palate is midweight and fine-textured rather than hefty or dense in structure. The tannins are velvety in texture and frame the wine beautifully, supporting the naturally fresh acidity of Pinot Noir and the juicy, moreish fruit flavours. It’s still youthful with lively cherry notes, and a hint of spice denoting barrel ageing for twelve months (20% of the barrels were brand new French oak, giving the toasty spicy note that is in the background). While it is light on its feet and graceful in style, with 13% alcohol, the finish is long and flavourful. A lovely wine that is ready to drink now but will age till 2029 or 2030 and develop the classic gamey notes of great Burgundy.
FOOD PAIRING, STORING AND SERVICE:
A youthful, cherry-scented style that is extremely easy to drink now, but will keep for another 5 or 6 years. No need to decant as it’s relatively open already. It is very well-balanced and drinks well at any time! But, for a great food match, try young, milky cheeses, pork dishes, particularly pork belly as this is fresh enough to cut through the fat of the meat, and shitake mushrooms for a vegetarian option.
ABOUT:
Marc Haisma is an oddity in Burgundy, as he is actually from Australia and therefore, despite having made wine in Burgundy for many years, is a relative outsider. He was winemaker at Yarra Yering for ten years, and therefore gained plenty of experience making great Chardonnay and Pinot Noir before crossing the globe to continue in the hallowed grounds of the Cote d’Or, Burgundy! In addition, he is what the French call a ‘micro-negoce’ or micro-negociant in that he purchases grapes from other growers, and makes the wine himself in a small cellar just outside Beaune. While it’s often seen as a disadvantage not to have one’s own vineyards, the negociant approach allows him to choose the vineyards he wishes (buying the vineyards outright in Burgundy is now prohibitive to all but the very wealthiest), and concentrate on quality alone, without having to spent precious time and resource on the myriad of viticultural tasks. We were particularly impressed with his Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru En Caradeux and Pommard Premier Cru Clos des Arvelets in 2022 and therefore commissioned the wines in half bottles this year.
