1996 Laboure-Roi Pommard Les Bertins

Laboure-Roi is a negociant in Nuits St. Georges. It is owned and run by the brothers Louis and Armand Cottin, and 80% of their wines are exported. Laboure-Roi works with more than 100 domains in Burgundy in nearly every appellation. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Laboure-Roi a “reliable house that makes a good range of wines.”

Pommard is a relatively large appellation of 1,655 vineyard acres just a few miles south of Beaune. Though it has no Grands Crus, Pommard’s 28 Premiers Crus are generally well regarded. The appellation produces only red wine, and wine writers often note that despite Pommard’s proximity to both Beaune and Volnay, its wines are very different from the Pinot Noirs produced in neighboring appellations. Robert M. Parker Jr. wrote that “The top Pommards are full-bodied, chunky, muscular, fleshy wines that impress one more for their power and expansive, mouth filling texture than for pure finesse.” The most famous Premiers Crus are Les Epenots and Les Rugiens.

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.