In the final throes of June, we were delighted to welcome one of James Suckling's chief tasters, Associate Editor Claire Nesbitt, to Château de Pommard.
Our winemaker Paul Negrerie hosted the tasting and gave a tour of the vineyard, outlining our practices and mission.
While it's always a pleasure to receive people from the global wine community, it is a singular joy to host experts whose palates are so finely tuned that they discover new aroma and flavour compounds within the cuvées we know so well, as well as their honed ability to articulate the sensations that our wines elicit.
Claire and the team from Jamessuckling.com taste literally thousands of wines every month. They rate using the 100-point scale.
"A wine that we rate 90 points or more is outstanding (A)," says the tasting team. "It’s a wine we want to drink a glass of and is an outstanding purchase. If we rate a wine 95 points or more (A+), it is a must buy and a bottle that we want to drink in its entirety!"
In our bright, airy orangery that overlooks the Micault plot in the Clos Marey-Monge, Paul took Claire through our 2020 catalogue plus the 2019 Monopole and a couple of surprises from 2017 that are drinking rather nicely right now.
Claire will be looking for all the elements of the wine to form a full picture of the cuvée in question. This will include appearance, the aromas, the flavours, the feel of the wine in the mouth, acidity, tannic structure, alcohol, body and on top of all of that, an evaluation of the wine's ageability. All of these elements will be considered for the final rating.
Claire's spectrum of aroma and flavour compound references is enormously wide, picking up iodine, white truffle, and burnt lemons to name only a few. When you spend your life tasting professionally, your range becomes almost infinite, which is why it was particularly pleasing to receive a 96 for our 2019 Monopole and a 94 for our 2020 Monopole.
Part of her review of our 96-point 2019 is: "Mineral, long and sophisticated Pommard that goes well beyond village level."
One of our greatest challenges is to outlive the Burgundy appellation system. We know the quality of our wines are not reflected in what's on the label. Helping consumers understand that the Cru stratification system is not always strictly about quality is important to us, but the only way it can be truly understood is by tasting. So please come and see for yourself with one of our tasting experiences.
Claire rated all of our Clos Marey-Monge wines as Outstanding, with the 2019 Monopole even getting into the A+ category.
We'd like to thank her and the whole team at Jamessuckling.com for understanding excellence in winemaking, and taking the time to explore our range so thoughtfully. The door is always open.
Here are the full results:
Château de Pommard Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Monopole 2019
Score: 96 Points
What a complex and elegant array of red cherries, dried flowers, slate, white truffles and wild raspberries here. Silky and refined tannins that melt into the wine. Medium- to full-bodied. Mineral, long and sophisticated Pommard that goes well beyond village level. Drink or hold.
Château de Pommard Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Monopole 2020
Score: 94 Points
I like the seductive spiciness on the nose, with nutmeg and licorice, white pepper too, alongside cherries, plums and some rosemary. It’s polished, with a full body while remaining elegant. Sleek tannins. Lengthy, spicy finish. Drink from 2024.
Château de Pommard Pommard Clos Marey-Monge 75 Rangs 2017
Score: 93 Points
This is a parcel within Grands Esprits that shows much more minerality with lots of oyster shells, iodine, olives and currants. Juicy and savory, even salty, with a medium body, sleek tannins and delicious finish. Drink or hold.
Château de Pommard Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Chantrerie 2020
Score: 93 Points
Lovely perfumed nose of violets, raspberries, ripe cherries and nutmeg, with a touch of sandalwood. But alongside the elegance there’s power here, with a full body and firm, sleek tannins. Minerality coming through at the end. Drink or hold.
Château de Pommard Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Grands Esprits 2020
Score: 93 Points
Excellent concentration and power to this with aromas of cloves, black cherries, black currants, tea leaves and mocha. It’s full-bodied, with firm and broad tannins that are well-integrated. Lots of muscle but balanced with fresh acidity, too. Better from 2024.
Château de Pommard Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Grands Esprits 2017
Score: 93 Points
This is showing earthy and toasty complexity. Red and dried cherries, charred bark and cigar box. The tannins are mellowed now, with a medium to full body and rich, spicy and tasty finish. Drink now or hold.
Château de Pommard Pommard Clos Marey-Monge 75 Rangs 2020
Score: 92 Points
Wild strawberries, beetroot, rhubarb, mushrooms and a touch of burnt lemons on the nose. It’s fresh and elegant with a medium body and sleek tannins. Nicely spicy and focused finish. Drink or hold.
Château de Pommard Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Nicolas-Joseph 2020
Score: 92 Points
Dark and rich with lots of ripe blue fruit here like blueberries, mulberries, cassis, chocolate orange and a touch of vanilla. It’s full-bodied, concentrated and broad-shouldered, with firm tannins and a chocolaty finish. Try in 2024.
Château de Pommard Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Micault 2020
Score: 91 Points
Silky and juicy with aromas of rose hips, cherries, chocolate orange, lemons and a touch of cinnamon. Medium- to full-bodied with silky yet very present tannins. More weighty at the end. Drink or hold.
Famille Carabello-Baum Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2020
Score: 89 Points
This is a dense and textured Bourgogne with aromas of ripe cherries, dark plums, mulberries, licorice and chocolate. Full-bodied pinot, with chalky tannins and a chewy finish. Try now or in 2024.