Description
Domaine François Gaunoux, Pommard 1er Cru “Les Epenots”
For me, Pommard “Les Epenots” is one of the most important village-vineyard combinations in all of Burgundy. And I’ll take it one step further: Among Côte de Beaune reds specifically, this may be the ultimate destination—Epenots is a Premier Cru vineyard, but it’s a site that has long been put forth as a site deserving of elevation to Grand Cru. Based on today’s wine alone, I’d urge the powers that be to go ahead and make that happen, but François and Claudine Gaunoux are hardly alone in the beautifully positioned (and rather large) Epenots vineyard.
The site is, in fact, broken into three sections (one of which, “Les Grands Epenots,” gets its own single-vineyard bottling from Gaunoux), but all three subdivisions share the same southeastern exposure and rocky, limestone-heavy soils. Wines from this site are not only famed for their longevity but for capturing the unique personality of Pommard so vividly: It’s what I call a woodsiness, a kind of perfectly calibrated rusticity, that separates the best wines of Pommard from the pack. I’m a lover of vintage books on Burgundy, and when you read what someone like the legendary Clive Coates has to say about Burgundian Pinot Noir, this ’14 is the modern-day embodiment. The Gaunouxs have become SommSelect favorites thanks to the authenticity and amazing value of everything they produce; to get a wine of this pedigree (and that includes the vintage, which I’ve been raving about for years), at this price, is what the hunt is all about! Take up to six bottles today and toast your good fortune!
The 2014 vintage really is the gift that keeps on giving; while most critics heap praise on bigger, earlier-drinking vintages, the classical proportions—the pitch-perfect balance—of 2014 is what keeps me coming back. The combination of structure, mineral depth, and perfumed refinement in Gaunoux’s ’14 states the case for “Les Epenots,” and Pommard in general, very eloquently. Her family’s wines, despite the living-legend status of her octogenarian father, François, still tend to fly under the radar in our market—and the quantities that trickle in are rather small, since they are small to begin with.
Their property is headquartered in Meursault, but, in terms of the overall lineup, Pommard is the headliner: they bottle four different wines from the appellation, including bottlings from the village’s three top sites: “Rugiens,” “Epenots,” and “Les Grands Epenots,” all Premier Crus that are thought by many to deserve higher rankings. Epenots is known for having a high percentage of iron in its soils over limestone bedrock, giving its wines a slightly deeper color and a distinctive muscularity. Its exposition is southeast, positioning vines to soak up the morning sun, and the Gaunouxs assert that Epenots bottlings from the ’70s and ’80s are still showing well today.
In fact, one of the unique features of the Gaunoux property is its relatively deep library of back vintages, the oldest of which came with François when he and his brother, Michel, divided up the assets of their father’s Domaine Henri Gaunoux way back in 1950 (for an in-depth look at this under-the-radar domaine, check out this recent Forbes article). We offered a ’99 Epenots not long ago that was in perfect condition, and as I assess this 2014 I have no doubts about its potential longevity—this is real-deal Burgundy combining power and elegance in the most attractive way!
And what is perhaps most fascinating of all is that Claudine Gaunoux has opted to raise her red wines only in tank, usually for 2-3 years before bottling—and they don’t miss the oak barrel component one bit. There’s plenty of mineral structure and spice to complement the dark-robed fruit, and when it comes to site expression, I can’t think of anything purer! In the glass, it’s a deep ruby moving to garnet and pink at the rim, with aromas of black and red cherry, currant, pomegranate, wild mushroom, underbrush, licorice, blue and purple flowers, and crushed stones. It shows great density and focus without feeling heavy: Right now, it is firm and upright and in need of about 30-45 minutes in a decanter to really reveal itself, but once it does it is exceedingly pleasant to drink now. Serve it at 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems with some well-charred grilled veal chops this summer, and set aside the remaining bottles for a 10-year slumber. Cheers!
