2014 Decelle-Villa Pommard Epenots

Domaine Decelle-Villa was started in 2008 when two distinguished winemakers from other regions of France decided to pool their talents and produce Burgundy. Olivier Decelle is the vigneron behind Mas Amiel in Roussillon, and he also revived Château Jean Faure in St. Emilion. Pierre-Jean Villa was part of a boutique Rhône negociant, and he is also a Rhone Valley vigneron. Now they have purchased and restored an historic 19th century cellar in Nuits Saint Georges along with about 20 acres of vineyards in various Burgundy locations. They also source grapes from Gevrey-Chambertin to Chassagne-Montrachet for their Domaine Decelle-Villa venture. The domaine makes more than a dozen wines, from a Grand Cru and Premiers Crus to village and regional appellations.

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.

Winemaker's tasting notes: Contrary to preconceived ideas, the wines of Pommard are not necessarily hard and tannic. There are also terroirs producing highly refined wines as confirmed by our Decelle-Villa Pommard 1er Cru. The intensity of this offering’s extremely expressive nose is surprising. It exhales notes of black currant and jam. Its tannins are refined and silky on the palate, revealing a hint of cinnamon. This wine goes perfectly well with hard cheese varieties, as well as chocolate desserts.