2011 Pommard 1er Cru

Philippe Prost told me that Bouchard started harvesting pinot noir in 2011 on August 29, then began the chardonnay on September 4. The entire harvest took 15 days. "There was a huge difference between the early- and late-flowering locations," he reported, "but we did a severe green harvest and we were ultimately able to pick without emergency, even though it seemed that we needed to be everywhere at once. We eliminated up to 3.5% rotten and second-generation grapes." The crop level was small here in the estate holdings, and sugars averaged a half-degree higher than those of 2010. Prost added that acidity and pH levels were healthier on the Cote de Nuits than on the Cote de Beaune and that he did not vinify the latter wines with stems as that would have risked bringing a moldy flavor to the wines. He believes that consumers should hold the 2011 crus for five or six years before opening them. Also recommended: 2011 Monthelie (86), Savigny-les-Beaune (86).