2005 Nicolas Rossignol Pommard Les Vignots

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.

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.