Producer Profile
Domaine Comte Armand
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This domaine is named after its most prized and famous asset, the premier cru Clos des Epeneaux vineyard which is run as a monopole, ie a vineyard wholly owned by a grower or domaine. The vineyard was created in the late 19th century by Nicholas Marey, sitting astride two existing vineyards, the Petits Epenots and Grand Epenots sites. The family of Comte Armand acquired control of the plot through marriage in 1824 and have owned it ever since.
It is a true Clos, enclosed by a wall which embraces vines aged between 20 years and more than 80 years of age planted to an unusually high density of 12,500 vines per hectare. It is biodynamically farmed and harvested by hand before sorting at the winery. Together with the Rugiens vineyard it is the most prestigious of Pommard lieu-dits and from 1999 was managed by the skilled and passionate advocate of biodynamism, Benjamin Leroux before he handed over to Paul Zinetti.
Winemaking is straightforward with the intention of letting all the hard work in the vineyard shine through in the quality and characteristics of the fruit. Natural yeasts ferment the juice following a cool maceration, and post-fermentation there is a further maceration that varies in length depending on the vintage and the wine. Oak is 80% new for the wines of the Clos but village wines may see very little or no oak at all. Time in oak may be 18-24 months depending on the designation. The youngest vines in the Clos are used to make Pommard 1er cru.
In addition to the Clos des Epeneaux the family also own vineyards in Volnay and Auxey-Duresses, and both village and premier cru wines are made.
Regional Note
Côte de Beaune
The Côte de Beaune runs from Ladoix-Serrigny in the north to Cheilly lè Maranges in the south, on the southern escarpment of the Côte d’Or. Beaune is the town at its heart. The most famous wines of the area are white, but many excellent reds are produced.
The soils of the area are predominantly mixtures of clay and limestone of various types, which is excellent for drainage but also retention of water. The hillsides here, split and riven by streams and side-valleys, provide a number of meso- and microclimates as well as various aspects ranging from east-facing to south and south-west facing. The best sites are neither at the top or the bottom of these slopes where the soils are too impoverished or too fertile respectively. More generic wines are produced at the top and bottom of these slopes, with the Premiers Crus and Grand Crus in a band running along the upper middle. Soils with more limestone suit chardonnay more than pinot, hence the number of famous white burgundies produced here.
The climate here is semi-continental, though northerly winds can temper a hot summer while warmer winds from the south can bring warmth. Westerly winds that ultimately originate in the Atlantic can bring rain but at its worst may deliver devastating hail in incredibly localised storms. There is a degree of unpredictability about vintages in Burgundy.
Pinot noir and chardonnay are the two permitted grapes of any significance, though Aligoté is grown occasionally for crisp, mouth-watering whites that are often used to make kir, and some generic Bourgogne or Crémant can be made with pinot blanc, pinot gris and beurrot can be made.
The appellations to be found in the Côte de Beaune are as follows: Ladoix, Pernand-Vergelesses, Aloxe-Corton , Corton, Corton-Charlemagne, Chorey-lès-Beaune, Savigny-lès Beaune, Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Monthélie, Auxey-Duresses, Saint-Romain, Meursault, Saint-Aubin, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Santenay and Maranges
Côte de Beaune-Villages and Bourgogne-Hautes Côtes de Beaune are also made. The former is solely for red wines and the latter includes some whites as well. Both are mostly from vineyards on the top of the escarpment and some represent good value for early drinking Burgundy.
Côte de Beaune wines are generally lighter than those from the Côte de Nuits. Beaunes are soft and round, Volnays fine and silky. Pommards are the exception: due to more clay in the soil, they can be notably tannic and in need of considerable bottle age. The greatest of all white Burgundies, Le Montrachet, is made here between Chassagne and Puligny.
Vintage Note
Burgundy Vintage 2011
The 2011 vintage produced an array of attractive, ripe yet fresh, white and red wines in a classic style, by which we mean that at harvest the grapes were picked with ripe tannins and flavours but at low to moderate levels of potential alcohol. As a consequence, the wines are aromatic and fine boned. Pinot noir and chardonnay have evolved to perform well in cool conditions, and, like many fruits, they succeed when grown at the northern limit of their ripening ability, like a vibrant Tay raspberry or a crunchy and aromatic English Cox’s Orange Pippin apple. This vintage allowed pinot and chardonnay to succeed in just such a way.
Yields were moderate, and berry sizes small. Qualitatively the wines are a step up from the 2007 and 2009 whites, and the 2007 reds. Stylistically, the vintage is in the same mould as 2010, but lighter. The wines are succulent and approachable, and delicious from quite early on, but have the structure for mid-term keeping.
The reds are ripe yet fresh, with appealing, juicy pinot fruit with sweet tannins. They will give great pleasure. As ever, low yield were necessary for success. When Pernand and Aloxe’s wines have ripe tannins you know the red wines achieved full phenolic maturity. It is worth trading up with the négociants as quality rises faster than prices as one moves up.
The whites are fresh, balanced and delicious, spanning the apple to white peach spectrum of aromas. After an initial lovely burst of fruit there is a good mid-palate and fresh finish. The Måconnais have performed particularly well in this vintage.