1998 Pommard Les Frémiers 1er Cru

Short pruning, subsequent spring pruning even in the estate older vines, and a summer green harvest in the more generous parcels kept this domain's average yield to a very low 35 hectoliters per hectare in '99, according to winemaker Yves Confuron. The fruit here, harvested late for maximum ripeness, undergoes a week of pre-fermentation cold maceration and spends a total of five weeks on its skins. "Because the grapes are not crushed, and since we always have a percentage of small, millerande berries, the grapes give up their sugars slowly," notes Confuron, adding that a bit of chaptalization further prolongs the fermentation. The resulting wines are quite powerful yet maintain a degree of finesse, as the tannins are sweet and smooth. Not surprisingly, the '99s show great early promise.

Yves Confuron has radically changed this domain's wines in just a few short years-most importantly, by forcing the vines' roots deeper and by harvesting later. "The most critical requirement for making excellent wine is ripe tannins and ripe aromas," says Confuron, who says he harvested a full week later in '98 than most of his neighbors. "Yes, there was more rot after the rain of September 26, and strict selection was crucial," he admitted to me. "But the tannins were riper and our wines avoid the astringency shown by so many '98s." The average yield in '98, according to Confuron, was a paltry 22 hectoliters per hectare. This estate's '97s, bottled without fining or filtration, have turned out impressively.