By Linden Wilkie, 27 Nov 2020

We are delighted to now represent Comte Armand, a.k.a. the Domaine des Epeneaux, one of the leading domaines in Pommard, Burgundy. As our senior consultant Anthony Hanson MW wrote in his book Burgundy some years ago -

This top estate is easy to find: it is opposite the fountain, beside Pommard’s church in the centre of the village. The wines are made and cellared off an irregular courtyard with worn, stone staircases, an open gallery, and mossy old roof-tiles settling in waves over sagging roof-beams.

Its illustrious history dates back to the French Revolution, but let’s focus on the present and recent past, as Domaine Comte Armand has had the benefit of highly-talented winemakers – Pascal Marchand, 1985-1998, Benjamin Leroux, in charge 1999-2014, and now Paul Zinetti, who joined in 2010 and has led since the 2014 vintage. These three have given the estate a continuity of quality at the highest level. Performance under Zinetti in particular is absolutely worth your attention, as there is a new degree of finesse in the wines. As Zinetti noted to Anthony on a recent cellar visit, “It is very important to hold the vat at a hot temperature for a period, after fermentation, to bring fat and smoothness to the wine.”

The top wine at this estate is also a contender for lead wine of Pommard – the premier cru ‘Clos des Epeneaux’, a monopole of the domaine, enclosed by four walls within Petits-Epenots and Grands Epenots. Anthony notes that Zinetti follows the approach laid down by Marchand, of making separate cuvées from different plots within the Clos, before a final assemblage. Here is what Anthony experienced:

Today, for instance, Zinetti will make a vat from the young vines, and three others, which one may taste separately while they are ageing in barrel. Cuvée No 1 will come from 55-60 year-old vines in the south-east section the Clos. Relatively low-yielding, this may give a densely fruity wine, with freshness and rich length. Cuvée No 2 may be the youngish vines, lying just to the west, which will not be included in the final blend. Cuvée No 3, from 75-80 year-old vines, may show great vivacity, with gentle tannins and fresh length. Cuvée No. 4. is from 85-90 year-old vines, in the north-eastern sector of the Clos, the vines being planted on thin soils which are rich in clay and pebbles. Fleshy and dense, round and rich, this can bring structure to the whole. Bringing together Nos. 1, 3 and 4, at the end of barrel-ageing, produces a complete wine of great suavity, richness and length.

Comte Armand has been biodynamic, and organic, for a long time. Most of the harvest is de-stemmed, though depending on the vintage some whole bunches may be retained at the sorting table if in perfect health and ripeness, with the green part of the stem painstakingly removed (as we see similarly at Domaine Perrot-Minot and Domaine Leroy). The use of new oak is low, between 0% and 30% depending on the cuvée and the vintage.

We begin here with the delightful 2017 vintage, a fruity, friendly and approachable year… enough at least for you to broach a bottle to see the expression and style here, while then tucking away further bottles in the cellar. The Pommard 1er Cru ‘Clos des Epeneaux’ Monopole, is a serious cellaring prospect. There is also Volnay 1er Cru ‘Les Fremiets’, from plots bordering the Pommard appellation, from vines planted in 1950 and 1980. In the estate’s view, ‘these wines tend to be delicate and elegant from attack to mid-palate (Volnay) then quickly gain structure for the finish (Pommard).’ We also have the village-level Volnay, is a blend of ‘les Grands Champs’, which gives typically Volnay style elegance, and ‘les Famines’ which gives body.