Prosper Maufoux har i mere end 150 år haft til huse på torvet i Santenay - små 15 kilometer syd for Pommard. Ikke desto mindre har negociant-huset i næsten alle årene haft Pommard i deres vin-program. Kommune-Pommard og fra 1. cru marker, især Les Epenots.
Vinen åbner sig med en krydret, ofte jord-duftende, næse - men alligevel med en lethed og elegance, som man måske ikke skulle forvente af den umiddelbare bouquet. Det er Pinot Noir på øverste hylde, og vi betragter den som en af det sydlige Bourgognes absolut største rødvine.
En vin, som vi igen og igen vender tilbage til.. lige siden vi første gang havde den i DM-Vines sortiment i 1989.... Årgangs-specifikt tror vi at årgang 2012 - kan blive et af de aller-smukkeste glas rød Bourgogne du smager i 2016-2018. Vi er utroligt begejstrede for den, og ærgerlige over at høstudbyttet i 2012 var så lavt.
..... fra "Winesearcher"......... :
Epenots is one of Pommard's best-known names, referring to wines that come from a historic lieu-dit at the base of the Cote d'Or. This is made up of three climats – Les Grands Epenots, Les Petits Epenots and Clos des Epeneaux – all of which are planted to Pinot Noir. The wines made here are rich and structured with spicy, earthy overtones and considerable elegance; they are considered some of the best red wines in the Cote de Beaune. These wines may be labeled with their individual vineyard name, or under the wider Epenots designation.
An Epenots wine labelEpenots, with its gentle slope and favorable soil, has some of the best terroir on the Cote de Beaune for the production of Pinot Noir. The site is at the northern end of the Pommard commune, on the very southern outskirts of Beaune. The village of Pommard is just a little way to the south, and the land to the east is given over to simple village wine. Some of Epenots' magic is due to a fault in the soil, which makes the topsoil a lot shallower than in the climats higher on the hill. In general, this iron-rich soil is pebbly and marly, and drains freely, which helps root systems grow down to the limestone beneath. As well as increasing vine strength, this limits vigor and grape yield, forcing the vines to produce small, concentrated berries, leading to high-quality wines. However, there is some soil variation in the vineyard: closer to the river that runs through Pommard, the soil is slightly richer, making a fuller wine. The Epenots lieu-dit has a gentle slope, certainly more so than in Les Rugiens Bas in the southern half of Pommard. It faces towards the southeast, providing gentle sunlight exposure in the mornings, but some protection from the fierce afternoon sun. The Pinor Noir grapes planted here can develop phenols and sugars slowly in this mesoclimate, and cooler evenings help with the retention of acidity. The result is a balanced wine with excellent structure and plenty of aging capability.
Despite its excellent terroir, Les Grands Epenots only holds Premier Cru status – there are no Grand Cru vineyards at all in the 10 or so miles (16km) between the Corton Grand Cru hill and Montrachet. Collectively, the Epenots vineyards are considered one of the most likely candidates for promotion. (along with Les Rugiens)