Comte Armand Bourgogne Blanc Condemaine 2020

Owned by the family of the Comte Armand since 1825, Clos des Epeneaux is among Pommard’s most revered vineyards. Post-phylloxera, it wasn’t replanted until 1930. Further vineyards were acquired in ’94: Auxey-Duresses, Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru, Volnay, and Volnay’s Frémiets. The modern era effectively began with Pascal Marchand, who was succeeded as a winemaker by Benjamin Leroux. When Ben left in 2014 to focus on his own business, Paul Zinetti took the reins.

This is always a fascinating wine and we are fortunate to have been offered some of the excellent 2019, of which just 600 bottles were made. This comes from Condemaine's vineyard which is in the commune of Volnay but just across the Route Nationale in “Bourgogne” territory. The vines are between 50 and 60 years old and planted with Chardonnay Muscaté, a selection of the grape more often found in the Maconnais that gives perfumed, floral wines. Paul takes care to pick early to preserve freshness, before fermenting and aging for 14 months in a used 600-litre barrel with no batonnage, again ensuring the wine remains tight and precise while allowing the subtle perfume to show.

The introduction of a Muscat-like Chardonnay ( a Chardonnay derived from small berries coming from Macon la Roche Vineuse ) was daring but paid off in this rich and deep land. Trimmed in cordon de Royat, this Chardonnay works much better in this type of soil, and the resulting wines are surprisingly fresh and precise for a generic Bourgogne.