Exquisitely Made Pommard

93 points. Saturated deep red-ruby color. Highly aromatic nose combines maraschino cherry, redcurrant, roast coffee and sweet oak scents; at once roasted and sappy. Superripe, highly concentrated and thick; an uncanny com... more

93 points. Saturated deep red-ruby color. Highly aromatic nose combines maraschino cherry, redcurrant, roast coffee and sweet oak scents; at once roasted and sappy. Superripe, highly concentrated and thick; an uncanny combination of velvety texture and excellent vinosity. This essence of Pommard offers great mouthcoating volume and outstanding persistence on the palate. Dusty, fine tannins saturate the palate. Certainly one of the Cote de Beaune stars of the vintage.

94 points. Deep red. Captivating, highly nuanced nose combines raspberry, cherry, iron, minerals and smoke, along with hints of coffee and white truffle. Penetrating, minerally and brisk, with terrific balance and verve a... more

94 points. Deep red. Captivating, highly nuanced nose combines raspberry, cherry, iron, minerals and smoke, along with hints of coffee and white truffle. Penetrating, minerally and brisk, with terrific balance and verve and a strong impression of soil tones. Throws off subtle notes of red fruits, coffee, leather, minerals and earth. Finishes minerally and extremely long. A classic Pommard, and not at all overly sweet. When I told Confuron how much I liked his '99s, he expressed the opinion that his 2002s are better balanced than that earlier vintage, which he described as more rigorous.

94(+?) points. Bright red-ruby. Pure, precise, extremely deep aromas of raspberry and minerals; another dimension here. A huge, mouthfilling wine that conveys an impression of great volume without any excess weight. This ... more

94(+?) points. Bright red-ruby. Pure, precise, extremely deep aromas of raspberry and minerals; another dimension here. A huge, mouthfilling wine that conveys an impression of great volume without any excess weight. This takes over the palate in a grand cru way. Extremely youthful and perhaps already beginning to shut down. Finishes with huge but silky tannins and palate-staining persistence. This extraordinarily rich wine will need at least a decade of aging to reveal its full potential.

93(+?) points. Good full red. Pungent redcurrant and raspberry aromas sharpened by minerality. Wonderfully concentrated but less open and exotic today than the Epenots, but this, too, is seamless and sweet. There's a firm... more

93(+?) points. Good full red. Pungent redcurrant and raspberry aromas sharpened by minerality. Wonderfully concentrated but less open and exotic today than the Epenots, but this, too, is seamless and sweet. There's a firm minerally, spicy character here that reminded me of the young 2006. This fills the mouth every bit as much as the Epenots does but with less weight. Finishes firmly tannic but not hard. These wines, both weighing in at 14.3% alcohol, present two very different styles, but both should give great pleasure over the next two decades. Confuron thinks that they will be accessible at virtually every stage of their development in bottle.

93 points. Good bright ruby-red. Knockout nose combines black cherry, licorice, game, smoke, violet and underbrush, but with a medicinal reserve today. Silky on entry, then large-scaled, rich and deep, with a compellingly... more

93 points. Good bright ruby-red. Knockout nose combines black cherry, licorice, game, smoke, violet and underbrush, but with a medicinal reserve today. Silky on entry, then large-scaled, rich and deep, with a compellingly smooth texture to its flavors of dark fruits, flowers and spices. Very primary yet already sexy and expressive. Finishes with suave, fine-grained tannins and subtle building perfume. A lovely, sappy Rugiens with a long future ahead of it.