Burgundy
Focus 2: Domaine Comte Armand Pommard Clos des Epeneaux 1er Cru 1945-2001&nbsp;

BY NEAL MARTIN |&nbsp;APRIL 26, 2023Such is
the stratospheric price of much of the Côte d’Or that it creates a veil of
infallibility. High prices do not preclude any vineyard from the malevolence of
Mother Nature or lackadaisical practices in the winery. In the past, Burgundy winemakers
had a habit of foisting substandard or even doctored wines upon unsuspecting
oenophiles. This makes delving into mature bottles akin to searching for gems in
the sand. Thankfully, when you do find one, it glistens brightly.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1682516813257-clos+des+epeneaux+line+up2_copy.jpg">Write-ups
of vertical tastings tend to be rather sycophantic, beholden writers dazzled by
age, breathlessly enthusing about decrepit antiquities undeservedly handed free
passes. As much as one appreciates tasting rare and ancient bottles, in
reality, only a percentage fulfill expectations. Some bottles leave you disappointed – either over the
hill or never very good in the first place. Not every wine is
predesigned for long-term drinking, and why should they be? More fool us for
missing its drinking window. Occasionally, a vertical reveals a bygone era when
a producer languished in mediocrity and created wines that nowadays would never
pass quality control. Suffice it to say that this vertical of Pommard Clos des
Epeneaux was memorable for the wrong reasons. While some exceptional bottles warranted
praise, overall, the tasting confirmed that the Domaine once trod water. It was
like appraising David Bowie’s career based on his Sixties albums or Hitchcock’s
oeuvre based on his silent films from the Twenties. 

Clos des
Epeneaux is a monopole pieced together by Nicolas Marey at the end of
the 18th century, one among several significant holdings. It was
inherited by his daughter Clothilde. Her husband, Jean-François Armand, came
from the Champagne region. Their son, Ernest, was made a count (Comte) in
reward for his tactful diplomacy, persuading Napoléon III to lend support to
the Pope during the fraught time of Garibaldi. The vineyard has been passed
down through several generations. Philibert Rossignol was the régisseur for 35
years until the Comte Armand appointed 22-year-old Canadian winemaker Pascal
Marchand. Hitherto, a large percentage of the crop had been sold off in bulk.
Marchand’s tenure began in January 1985. He set about replacing old vines,
particularly in its lower sector, and renewing superannuated barrels. Marchand presciently
began to trial biodynamics in 1996, but three years later, he departed to set
up Domaine de la Vougeraie. He contacted 23-year-old Benjamin Leroux, who had
worked as an apprentice at the domaine in the early nineties, inviting him to
take his place. Leroux continued to expand the biodynamic viticulture and
altered the style of the wine: picking earlier and applying less extraction and
less new wood. Leroux departed in 2014 and handed the reins to current
winemaker Paul Zinetti, who had started working at the domaine four years
earlier. In my opinion, Zinetti has given the wines far greater consistency.

Located
between Petits-Epenots and Grands-Epenots, the 5.23-hectare vineyard is
surrounded by a wall. It’s a genuine clos. As a comparatively large climat,
the clos is divided into four quarters, and often, when tasting the wine from
barrel, it is preceded by tasting the cuvées from each section. The geology is
divided into two parts. Soils are deeper and more ferrous in the lower parts,
while the fruit tends to be tannic and lends structure. The upper part contains
shallower soil (20-30cm) above fissured rock that imparts mineralité. Vines
are between 30 and 80 years old, the oldest planted in 1930, currently at a density
of 12,000 per hectare.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1682516835321-clos+des+epeneaux+1971+bottle_copy.jpg">The
temporal purview predates the current modus operandi of Domaine Comte Armand. Last
April, a dozen of us assembled in the private room upstairs at <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/vinous-table-noble-rot-soho-london-uk-sep-2020">Noble
Rot</a> for what was ostensibly an archaeological dig into a domaine that has
improved leaps and bounds in recent years. I have never been fond of the wines
in the past. Vintages made during Pascale Marchand’s tenure reflect the then
more widespread vogue for highly extracted, powerful wines under a carapace of
oak that served to snuff out the terroir and finesse that this propitious
Premier Cru can bestow. Thank God that Burgundy wised up and moved on.
Marchand’s arrival certainly put Comte Armand on the right track in terms of
viticulture. Still, the vinification was ill-fitting and conversant with
Marchand in his current role at Marchand-Tawse, no doubt he would impose
completely different practices if he repeated his tenure. Only the 1996 Pommard
Clos des Epeneaux stood out during his era, and even that pales against the
most recent vintages. Interestingly, the 1985 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux
is the only one that stands the test of time, relishing in a benevolent growing
season that the incoming Marchand fully exploited. Vintages
under Philibert Rossignol leave much to be desired. Most are of curiosity value
only. But traveling back in time, there were fleeting glimpses of what could
have been. Step forward to a blissful 1971 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux, so
superior in every way that it seems to have beamed down from a completely
different domaine. Likewise, the 1966 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux is no
slouch, and the 1957 is the surprise, a challenging and forgotten
vintage that stole a march on the likes of 1959 and 1964. Maybe
we were just unlucky on the night? Bottles are highly variable, and on another
occasion, who knows, I am sure we would have had a more positive outcome. Yet
despite the shortcomings of many wines, this was still an informative tasting
that instructed me to be extremely cautious if ever broaching one of these
bottles. 

Conclusion?
Just because it is old. Just because it is Burgundy. Just because it is a
famous producer and a highly-regarded vineyard… That does not mean satisfaction
is guaranteed.&nbsp; © 2023, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.<hr> You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/burgundy-focus-1-duroche-s-clos-de-beze-grand-cru-1988-2020-apr-2023">Burgundy Focus 1: Duroché’s Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 1988-2020</a>, Neal Martin, April 2023 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/myth-over-matter-mature-burgundy-1920-2019-mar-2023">Myth Over Matter: Mature Burgundy 1920-2019</a>, Neal Martin, March 2023&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/money-well-spent-domaine-de-l-arlot-1959-2019-mar-2023">Money Well Spent: Domaine de L’Arlot: 1959-2019</a>, Neal Martin, March 2023<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/vinous-table-noble-rot-soho-london-uk-sep-2020">Vinous Table: Noble Rot Soho, London, UK</a>, Neal Martin, September 2020

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