Domaine Comte Armand in Pommard has been under the ownership of the same family in an unbroken line since before the French revolution, an extreme rarity in Burgundy. Until 1994 the domaine owned only one vineyard, their famous 13-acre Monopole Clos des Epeneaux – an outstanding 1er Cru in Pommard. The current Comte Armand – Vicomte Gabriel Armand, is a Parisian lawyer who has continued the family tradition of relying on resident-managers, or regisseurs, to conduct all of the domaine’s affairs.
In 1999 they handed the keys to 23 year-old Benjamin Leroux, a promising local winemaking prodigy who has risen to earn a reputation among the world’s best. Ben completed the transition to Biodynamic farming for the estate.
94 Points Antonio Galloni
The 2009 Pommard Clos des Epeneaux is flat-out beautiful. Layers of racy, exotic fruit caress the palate as the wine opens up in the glass. The 2009 is quite typical of the year, yet possesses fabulous overall harmony. Although exuberant today, the Clos des Epeneaux will deliver tons of pleasure for many years. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030.
94 Points Jasper Morris
The colour is balanced, maybe less intense than their Auxey 1er cru (often the case). The bouquet also shows a balanced restraint but with power waiting in the wings. There is a coolness to this which bodes really well, and tames the voluptuous nature of the 2009 fruit. Tannins are beautifully stylish and the cool mineral finish shows off to great effect.