Domaine Leflaive Esprit Pommard Premier Cru Les Arvelets 2020

Domaine Leflaive is best known for white Burgundy, and its Esprit Leflaive range extends the estate's reach to reds, here a Pommard Premier Cru from the Les Arvelets vineyard in the Côte de Beaune. Pommard is the most powerful of the Beaune villages, and Les Arvelets sits on iron-rich clay and limestone, soils high in active limestone and iron oxide that give the wine its colour, density and firm tannic frame. The east and south-east aspect and the marked difference between warm days and cool nights hold the acidity and keep the fruit defined. Pinot Noir from this site is naturally structured. The wine is matured fifteen months in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange rounds the tannins and adds depth, then rested three months in stainless steel to settle and preserve freshness before bottling. The 2020 was a warm, ripe vintage and shows in the depth of fruit. The colour is deep ruby. The nose shows dark plum, black cherry and redcurrant over black pepper, liquorice and damp earth. The palate is full bodied and firm, with substantial but ripe tannins, fresh acidity and a long, savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees and decant. It suits red meat and game.