Louis Latour Pommard Epenots 2021

Louis Latour, founded in 1797 and run by the same family for eleven generations, makes this red from the Epenots vineyard, one of the leading Premier Crus of Pommard in the Côte de Beaune, using Pinot Noir from vines of around thirty years of age. Pommard sits on deep clay-limestone soils with a notable iron content, a base that gives the wine the firmer structure and darker, earthier fruit for which the village is known, more sturdy than the lighter communes around it. The cool climate and the house's low yields preserve acidity and aromatic detail. After fermentation the wine is aged in oak, a good part of it from Latour's own cooperage, where slow oxygen exchange settles the tannins and adds spice while leaving the fruit clear. The result is a deep, savoury Burgundy with the structure to age. It shows a deep garnet hue, with aromas of ripe blackberry and cherry lifted by roasted coffee and black pepper over a forest-floor earthiness. The palate is medium to full bodied with firm, fine tannins and a long, savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees in a Burgundy glass, with air for younger bottles. It suits game, duck and roast beef.