2021 Pommard Epenots 1er Cru

Christine Dubrueil is in usual sparkling form at her Domaine in Pernand-Vergelesses, always one of the most candid winemakers. At least after her cellar hand pulled the wrong vintage in 2019, I am treated to the right vintage this time. She pre-empties my query about the frost…

“April 7 and 8…ah…you know, I’m not going to tell you. You must have heard it all before! The summer was cold and humid. It was the kind of year where it’s not about global warming but the wildness of the weather. We picked from 17 September. We lost 50% in the reds and 70% in the whites, averaging a 60% loss. There was about 10% of the fruit deselected because of botrytis, but we did not have oïdium and mildew. The biggest loss was in the higher quality wines where the Bourgogne Aligoté was perfect. The Premier and Grand Crus are earlier in terms of growth, so they were most impacted. At first, we were worried about the sugar levels, and the first samples were concerning. But in the end, it was OK. We used smaller vats to make sure we could ferment the three barrels for our smallest cuvée. We can do pigeage through the whole vat using a long stick [to break the cap and mix the skins]. The whites were bottled in July, and all the reds have been racked. Everything was chaptalized by around one degree alcohol, less for some of the Grand Crus, so that they are around 13% alcohol.” Asked for her general impression of the season, she answers: “I would rather make a 2019 or 2022 than a 2021. The wines are nice and have fruit, Burgundy style [laughing], and they will be great whilst people wait for the 2020s!” Whilst a couple of wines just fall short of the mark, this is one of those growers who might slightly underestimate the quality of her wines. This is also an address where the hierarchy is jumbled insofar that I would grab some of their excellent Village Crus that dare surpass the Premier Crus on occasion.