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.
92-94 Points Allen Meadows
Here the wood treatment is all but invisible with its super-fresh nose of cool and airy red cherry, earth and hint of the sauvage. The racy, intense and beautifully delineated middleweight flavors are not especially dense yet still manage to deliver focused power on the superbly long, balanced and youthfully austere finale. The 2021 Clos is a deceptive wine in that the mid-palate seems entirely supple and accessible yet the firm finish makes clear that it’s going to need a decade plus to realize its full potential. Good stuff.
91-93 Points Jasper Morris
We tasted the younger vines and the older vines separately, then the blend. The younger vines had a fine fresh medium deep raspberry fruit, with quite firm acidity, a limestone feel to the tannins, and a lightly ferrous touch. The old vines offered much more fruit on the nose, strawberry and raspberry, the tannins a little firmer but with much more fruit around them. As ever the blend seemed to give more of everything. A bright purple colour, and a weight of fruit on the nose with a depth of darker berry fruit. The balance between the fruit and the structure is just right, medium plus length. The tannin acid balance works well too. The 2021 Clos des Epeneaux will not be a monster but will have refinement. Drink from 2028-2035.