Pommard 1er Cru “Les Argillières” AOC 2020

Wine description for Pommard 1er Cru “Les Argillières” AOC 2020 by Lejeune

Colour & appearance

Radiant, slightly transparent cherry red – of luminous clarity and youthful freshness.

Nose

A wonderfully open, finely spiced opening with a faintly smoky-reductive hint. Behind this develops a piquant medley of red and dark fruit, cherry conserve, a touch of undergrowth, mint, delicate notes of yeasty bread and fine wood.

Palate

Juicy, dark-fruited and compact in structure. Flavours of cinnamon-spiced cherries, sweet and sour cherries, dark chocolate and tobacco, underpinned by warming spices. The silky, precise acidity of the 2020 vintage elegantly keeps the vintage-typical warmth and richness in check. The tannins feel ripe and pronounced, yet still require a little polishing – a wine with clear ageing potential.

Finish

Spicy and of excellent length, with a complex interplay of fruit and substance. The final impression remains warm and juicy, with subtle bitter chocolate and a hint of tobacco.

Terroir & origin

Les Argillières (also en Largillière) is a Premier Cru vineyard site in the village of Pommard on the Côte de Beaune, Burgundy. The terroir lies to the north-east of the village and is strongly defined by clay over limestone – a combination that gives Pommard its characteristic structure. On this 1.4-hectare parcel owned by Domaine Lejeune, Pinot Noir wines are produced with profound, mineral depth and vibrant acidity.

Grape variety & vinification

Pure Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder), harvested from Premier Cru plots. In the cellar, traditional methods are employed: approximately 30 per cent whole bunches are foot-trodden to release the juice for alcoholic fermentation. This is followed by a semi-carbonic maceration of five to seven days, driven by indigenous yeasts. Total fermentation lasts around three weeks. Maturation takes place in wooden casks with approximately 30 per cent new wood. Before bottling, the wine receives only a light addition of sulphur – unfiltered and unfined.

Food recommendations

A companion for meaty and earthy cuisine. Highlights include: salt-crusted braised beetroot with glazed radicchio, mashed potato and vanilla foam (vegetables & vegetarian); slices of lukewarm roast beef with boiled red cabbage served as a salad with mole (meat); or seared tuna with balsamic blood orange foam on baked potatoes (fish).

Special features

Domaine Lejeune – in the same family’s hands since 1783 and now run by Louis de Belleroche – has respected the time-honoured art of semi-carbonic maceration in open wooden vats for generations. The organic certification since 2021 and the decision to forgo filtration underscore the estate’s philosophy: Pommard in its deepest, most unadulterated form. The Les Argillières 2020 showcases the vineyard site in all its splendour – displaying the characteristic earthiness of Pommard, here counterbalanced by agile acidity and fascinating vitality.