Burgundy Focus 2: Domaine Comte Armand Pommard Clos des Epeneaux 1er Cru 1945-2001
BY NEAL MARTIN |
Such 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.
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.
