2012 Beaune Les Epenotes

A blend of 75-, 35- and 6-year-old vines, the 2012 Beaune 1er Cru Les Epenottes was just about to undergo racking. It is matured in 40% new French oak. It has an attractive, lively bouquet with intense blackberry and raspberry fruit, the oak here well-integrated. The palate is crisp and quite tannic on the entry with tightly wound black fruit. It is quite compact at the moment and racking will loosen it up. There is decent weight and delineation on the finish. Give this premier cru three or four years in the cellar. The Pommard Noizons was completely destroyed by hail, so that wiped out Anne’s village Pommard in 2012. I met Anne Parent years ago. She is the mummy of Pommard, always chatty and interested in what you have to say, passionate not only about her wines, but about Pommard and the role of female vignerons in Burgundy, encouraging the collective group to promote their wine ensemble. Claude Parent founded the domaine in 1803. Today it is run by Anne and Catherine Fages-Parent, the latter responsible for the commercial side of operations. The domaine farms around ten hectares of vine, of which about two-thirds are in the Pommard appellation. Organic since 2009, Anne told me that they have been certified this year and that biodynamic practices are being trialed. I asked her about the challenges she faced in 2012. “We had hail on the 28th of June (I think Anne meant June 30). The small berries fell down, so what we picked was clean with good maturity as hail had not blocked ripening. We started the harvest on the 22nd of September. It was essential sorting the fruit through two sorting tables: the first a vibrating table that was crucial for taking out the berries affected by hail, and the second more orthodox. The entire fruit is fully de-stemmed and we make a cold maceration depending on the vintage and appellation. Vatting time is around 10 to 12 days, up to 18 to 21 days for the premier and grand crus. The wine is extracted by remontage and pigeage. The pressing is done via a pneumatic machine set at around 0.8 bars.” The wines are aged in French oak and this forms the leitmotif of Anne’s wines because they flirt with being “woody” and usually demand several years to absorb the new oak. Speaking to Anne, I gauged a change in direction provoked by her adoption of organic viticulture. She told me that in order to express the terroir she has used less oak for the 2013 vintage and that this policy will continue. As such, I must confess that I did find some of the new oak occasionally blunting the finishes on her 2012. Anne is adamant that they will absorb the new oak because of the good tannins and acidity. Personally, while I liked these wines, I am more anticipating next year’s crop, however diminutive that might turn out to be. Generally, these are commendable wines that continue the upswing in quality that has been taking place over the last decade. Importers: Frederick Wildman (NY) and Five Grapes (CA).