2017 Génot-Boulanger Pommard Vieilles Vignes

Domaine Génot-Boulanger is relatively young, by Burgundian standards. It was founded in 1975 by Charles-Henri Génot and his wife Marie Boulanger, who left careers as pharmacists in Paris to make wine in Burgundy. They started acquiring Côte de Beaune vineyards and moved to the heart of Meursault. Today the family still owns and runs the estate, which includes numerous parcels in Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise. The estate will be fully certified as organic in 2018. Its wines earn ratings in the low to mid-90s from reviewers.

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.