1999 Albert Bichot Domaine du Pavillon Pommard Le Clos du Pavillon

Domaine du Pavillon is a 43-acre estate in Pommard. Since 1993 it has been owned by Maison Albert Bichot, one of Beaune’s largest and most important negociants. Albert Bichot owns four domaines in Burgundy for a total of more than 250 acres of vineyards, and the maison is today run by Alberic Bichot, the sixth generation of the founding family. Maison Albert Bichot has won numerous international awards for winemaking. Domaine du Pavillon produces Grand Crus, Premier Crus and village wines.

Pommard is a relatively large appellation of 1,655 vineyard acres just a few miles south of Beaune. Though it has no Grands Crus, Pommard’s 28 Premiers Crus are generally well regarded. The appellation produces only red wine, and wine writers often note that despite Pommard’s proximity to both Beaune and Volnay, its wines are very different from the Pinot Noirs produced in neighboring appellations. Robert M. Parker Jr. wrote that “The top Pommards are full-bodied, chunky, muscular, fleshy wines that impress one more for their power and expansive, mouth filling texture than for pure finesse.” The most famous Premiers Crus are Les Epenots and Les Rugiens.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.