Pommard Grands Epenots, Domaine Michel Gaunoux 2013

Tasted alongside the 2014 and 2011 renditions—lovely wines that haven't evolved much since I reviewed them last year—the 2013 Pommard 1er Cru Les Grands Epenots is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of red cherries and spices mingled with nuances of forest floor, grilled game bird and dried ceps. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, with an animating spine of racy acidity, refined tannins and a long, sapid finish. This is a beautifully complex, acid-driven vintage of Grands Epenots that isn't far away from the beginning of its drinking window.

This is also cool, pure and airy with a similar fruit profile though in this case there are more spice and earth nuances present. Once again there is a sleek mid-palate mouth feel to the dense, serious and powerful middle weight plus flavors that possess reasonably good volume on the dusty, palate coating and slightly austere finish. This is quite young and this particular bottle showed much better than the example I tried in 2016 as there is virtually no hail-induced dryness. Note: from a large 1.74 ha parcel