Domaine Alain Jeanniard, Pommard Premier Cru, Les Arvelets 2022 - 75cl

Where Jeanniard's Côte de Nuits wines charm, his Pommard flexes. Les Arvelets is a premier cru on the higher ground above the village, where limestone-rich soils give Pommard its reputation for muscle and grip — the firmest, most structured of Alain Jeanniard's reds, and the one built to age longest. He farms it out of Morey-Saint-Denis with hand-harvesting and the same restraint, letting the sturdy character of the terroir speak. The warm 2022 vintage added ripeness that rounds off Pommard's usual sternness.

Dark cherry and blackberry come first, deeper and denser than his northern cuvées, backed by warm spice, a little cedar from the barrel and an earthy, mineral base. The palate is broad and firmly tannic, the fruit concentrated and dark, the structure serious without tipping into severity. There is a real spine of limestone freshness holding the weight together, and the finish is long, savoury and gently gripping. This wants time — it will drink from around five years and reward a decade in the cellar, softening into something plush and complex.

How to Serve

Serve at 17°C in a large Burgundy glass. Decant young bottles a full hour ahead to coax the tannin open.

Where to Drink It

Wiltons: old-school grandeur for a serious premier cru.
Scott's Mayfair: a room that rises to the occasion.
Noble Rot Mayfair: a cellar that treats Pommard with respect.

Food Pairings

Rare roast rib of beef with its own juices — the wine's tannin needs the richness to lean on.