Domaine Joseph Voillot Pommard Vieilles Vignes 2021

The Pommard Vieilles Vignes is the wine that bridges the gap between the domaine's village level and its four premier crus — and its secret lies in the parcels that compose it. The blend draws from four lieux-dits: Les Saussilles (0.31 hectares, planted 1966), Les Cras (0.37 hectares, planted 1946 and 1989), Les Poisots (0.28 hectares, planted 1936 and 1983), and Les Vaumuriens (0.25 hectares, planted 1934 and 1963), giving an average vine age of around 63 years. All fruit is fully destemmed, fermented spontaneously and macerated with skins over 14 to 18 days, then aged in old oak barrels for 14 to 16 months. Critically, two of these four plots are actual premier cru parcels and two sit immediately adjacent to the premier cru band — which explains why this wine consistently punches above its village classification with a density and structure that demands respect. 

The nose is open and fruit-forward, with ripe cherries, strawberries, brambly raspberry tones, spicy Pinot character, floral notes of violets and a hint of fresh red plum — the palate silky and juicy, moderately full-bodied, surprisingly firm and structured with high acidity and moderately grippy tannins, the finish long, ripe and persistent. A ripe and sunny but also surprisingly serious and structure-driven Pommard — one that the domaine itself describes as fine and dense, recommending four to five years of patience before opening. This is a wine that makes the most compelling possible case for old-vine Pommard at the village level, and for those who find the premier crus beyond reach it is a more than worthy substitute.