Domaine Sebastien Magnien, Pommard, Les Perrieres 2022 - 75cl

Pommard has a reputation for muscle — the sturdiest, most structured red in the Côte de Beaune — and Les Perrières is a lieu-dit whose stony, iron-rich soils lean straight into that character. Sébastien Magnien, working out of Meursault, farms with care and makes a Pommard that has the village's backbone without tipping into rusticity.

The 2022 vintage brought ripeness and depth, and this shows both. Expect dark cherry and blackberry, a note of crushed violet, then the earthy, mineral, faintly bloody character that marks good Pommard. It's a firmer, more tannic Pinot Noir than you'd find further north in the Côte de Beaune — grippy and serious — but the fruit is generous enough to carry it, and the finish is long and savoury.

This is one to give a little time. Decant it now and it drinks well with a hearty meal, but the real reward comes after five to eight years, when the tannins soften and the wine turns silky. Buy it for a proper winter dinner.

How to Serve

Serve at 16–17°C in a large Burgundy glass. A young Pommard genuinely benefits from an hour in the decanter to tame the tannins.

Where to Drink It

Wiltons for game. Boisdale for red meat and a cellar to match. The Wolseley for a grand, old-fashioned dinner.

Food Pairings

Roast venison or a well-hung ribeye. Coq au vin, unsurprisingly, is a natural.