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AOC Pommard 1er Cru
In the center-east of France, Burgundy is one of the oldest French wine regions, known for its very great growths. It includes the AOC Pommard 1er Cru. The appellation area of this AOC extends across the center of the Côte de Beaune on hillsides composed of marl and limestone. Pinot Noir vines are planted in this appellation, which only produces red wines (including 28 Premiers Crus). Quite tannic, these wines benefit from being kept for 4 to 5 years in the cellar (up to 10 years), after which they are tender and can express their power and richness, as well as the fruity notes (blackberry, blueberry, cherry, redcurrant) typical of Pinot Noir.
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Pommard 1er Cru: Over a Third of the Vines in Production
In Pommard, 28 climats, each known by a traditional name that is most often a vineyard place-name, are entitled to the Premier Cru designation. Burgundy wine board (BIVB) figures for 2022 show them covering nearly 118 of the appellation’s 314 hectares in production (291 of 776 acres), more than a third of the vineyard. All make red wine.
From Alluvial Fan to Oxfordian Marl
The Pommard slope rises about 150 meters (490 feet), and its rock changes with height. At the bottom, forming a small step, thin-bedded Callovian limestone from the Middle Jurassic comes to the surface. Higher up, the slopes expose Oxfordian marl and limestone from the Upper Jurassic.
The vineyard lies at the mouth of a steep-sided valley that cuts deep into the plateau. Where the valley opens out, river deposits built an alluvial fan, a spread of coarse limestone pieces mixed with clay. Soils on the fan run deeper and more clayey at the surface, yet still drain well; farther down, these deposits turn to gravel.
Elsewhere on the slope, a mantle of scree, clay and silt often hides the bedrock. The limestone drains the water away, while the clay near the surface holds a good reserve of moisture. In places, iron oxide turns the soil red.
Tighter Yields for the Premier Cru Designation
A Pommard Premier Cru comes from vines that the appellation keeps to a lower output. Its yield is set at 48 hectoliters per hectare, against 50 for village Pommard; its yield cap, which no annual adjustment can lift, drops from 58 to 56 hectoliters per hectare.
After enrichment (chaptalization or must concentration), the wine is capped at 14% ABV, versus 13.5% for village Pommard. Like all Pommard, it holds no more than 2 grams of sugar per liter: a fully dry red.
Pommard wines are concentrated, with a firm tannic backbone. Well-exposed plots and naturally free-draining soils let growers pick fully ripe grapes; that ripeness softens tannins that are firm by nature.
Living Upstairs, Making Wine Downstairs
Pommard’s houses stand close together, and the whole village is given over to vines and wine. Its basic unit is still the traditional Burgundian house: living quarters on the second floor, the cuverie (vat room) at street level, where the wine is made, and aging cellars below ground, where it is kept and matured in barrels.
The standard barrel there is the Burgundy pièce, 228 liters (about 60 US gallons), sized so it could once be handled without machinery. By local custom, the wines are aged for at least nine months.
This layout, home above, vat room and aging cellars below, still holds today. It lets fairly small estates make a living from their vines.
Pommard Premier Cru: Slopes, Table and Growers
What elevation do Pommard vineyards reach?
Pommard vineyards sit between 250 and 330 meters (820 to 1,080 feet) above sea level. Their slopes face east and south.
Which poultry dish goes with Pommard Premier Cru?
Pommard Premier Cru pairs well with poultry in civet, a slow-simmered French stew in red wine sauce. Its firm tannins and concentrated aromas match the richness of the sauce.
How many growers share the Pommard vineyard?
The Pommard vineyard is highly fragmented: in the late 2000s, 341 growers farmed about 320 hectares (790 acres) of planted vines. High land values and the wines’ international reputation explain this division.
Where can you buy Pommard Premier Cru direct from the winemaker?
You can buy Pommard Premier Cru direct from the winemaker on Avenue des Vins. Each wine’s page names the producer who made it.
See also: AOC Pommard - AOC Beaune 1er Cru - AOC Monthélie