2011 Nicolas Rossignol Pommard Les Épenots

Domaine Nicolas Rossignol was founded by Nicolas Rossignol in 1997 when the young winemaker acquired 7.5 acres of vineyards in Volnay, Pommard, Beaune, Aloxe Corton and Pernand-Vergelesses. Rossignol comes from a family of winemakers, and he is the fifth generation to make wine in Volnay. In addition to starting his own domaine he continued to make wine at the family domaine, Rossignol-Jeanniard. Today Rossignol manages his own estate and his family’s, which together include about 65 acres. The parcels are mostly Premier Cru, and in addition to his original appellations, he also has Premier Crus in Savigny-les-Beaune. There are also village wines.

Les Epenots, also known as Les Petits Epenots, is a 38-acre Premier Cru vineyard in Pommard, in Burgundy’s Cote de Beaune. It is in the central part of the Pommard appellation, to the east of the village. There is a gentle slope to the vineyards in this part of Pommard, and the Burgundy expert Clive Coates notes that “the presence of pebbles in the soil ensures good drainage and contributes to the considerable elegance which you find in a good Epenots…” Because Pommard has no Grand Crus, its Premier Crus are especially noteworthy. Pommard is an appellation of red wine only.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.