Comte Armand Auxey-Duresses Rouge 1er Cru 2022

The family of the Comte Armand has owned the vineyard of Clos des Epeneaux in Pommard since 1826. The vineyard wasn’t replanted post-phylloxera until 1930, but has since confirmed its rating as one of Pommard’s very finest sites. After many years when the Clos des Epeneaux was the sole wine made at the domaine, further vineyards were acquired in 1994: Auxey-Duresses, Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru, Volnay and Volnay Frémiets. The younger vines from the Clos des Epeneaux are also sold as Pommard or Pommard Premier Cru. The modern era began under Pascal Marchand (whose first vintage was 1985), followed by Benjamin Leroux and now Paul Zinetti, Benjamin’s second-in-command. Each has left their mark: Pascal Marchand elevated the domaine, making it the greatest Pommard estate, and Benjamin Leroux oversaw conversion to biodynamics (certified from 2005). Since 2014, Paul Zinetti has been at the helm, and a subtle but discernible change is underway. The Clos des Epeneaux’s famous dense, rich, tannic composition, so individual and impressive, is being gently moderated towards a wine that will be accessible a little earlier, while in no way undermining the ageability of one of Burgundy’s great terroirs.