Domaine Joannes Violot-Guillemard

The Violot-Guillemard wines are a celebration of the diversity of terroirs across Pommard and their expressions. Wonderful drinking all with unique personalities of their own.
 
What strikes me is how clearly the quality of fruit has raised the base level of quality from year to year!

I took the timelapse sequence below a few years back. Somehow it seems to fit these wines as they age perfectly. Everything is there in all the right places, it’s all tight and compact. As time passes and it ecloses all of the components reach their full potential, express themselves in all of their beauty, complete and elegant.

The White

The Reds

Planted in 1936!

Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Thierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘La Platière’ 2016

Stunning. Beautiful perfume such a divine fragrance that leaps out of the glass. Excellent energy. Zesty fine acid, the texture here is exceptional. There is often a misconception that wines from Pommard are brutish, structured and will need decoded to even be approachable. Like most things in life, mass generalisation does no one any favours. Although this undoubtedly has much much more to give with time it is divine with super fine tannins now!Layered and complex with perfumed persistant f

Vintage 2016

$234

$224ea in any 3+

$214ea in any 6+

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Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Thierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘La Platière’ 2017

Rounder, plusher than the 2016. A lovely differentiation between vintage that still sees the qualities of clearly very fine house at play. None of the reduction Meadows noted on first release is present now. A little more time is needed for this to show it’s full colours at the moment. A little more savoury with the same fruit energy at play. As seems to be the case for the Domaine there is a harmony that you don’t always see in Burgundy. Superb drinking.

Vintage 2017

$242

$232ea in any 3+

$222ea in any 6+

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Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Thierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘La Platière’ 2018

A brooding and still very primary nose offers up liqueur-like notes of dark cherry, raspberry, anise and a hint of wood. There is excellent verve to the utterly delicious flavors that also possess excellent delineation before concluding in a mineral-laden and sneaky long finale. This is lovely and worth a look. ♥ Outstanding Drink 2028+Burghound, 91 Points

Vintage 2018

$242

$232ea in any 3+

$222ea in any 6+

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Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Joannes Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘La Platière’ 2019

Deep and concentrated, the 2019 Pommard 1er Cru La Platière evokes aromas of rose petals, red berries, Indian spices, raw cocoa and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, layered and vibrant, with powdery tannins and lively acids, it's the most elegant young Platière that I've tasted from the domaine.William Kelley, 91-93 Points

Vintage 2019

$249

$239ea in any 3+

$229ea in any 6+

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Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Thierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘Clos de Derrière Saint-Jean’ Monopole 2017

Well I couldn't find a review of this and haven't had a chance to taste it. Given the other 9 wines from 2016 and 2017 I've tried it's hard to see this being anything but true to form and simply put a 2017 version of the 2016!My Note on the 2016:Opens with juicy crunchy fruit that takes just a little while to settle in. More immediately overt than the others. There’s a build in tannin here that when you relate it back to the vineyard location near Rugien and listen to Anne Parents

Vintage 2017

$275

$265ea in any 3+

$255ea in any 6+

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Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Thierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘Clos de Derrière Saint-Jean’ Monopole 2016

Opens with juicy crunchy fruit that takes just a little while to settle in. More immediately overt than the others. There’s a build in tannin here that when you relate it back to the vineyard location near Rugien and listen to Anne Parents thoughts on Pommard makes sense. A certain savoury meatiness comes through. You can see this will need a little more time in bottle to really come together. Excellent depth and length of fruit as seems to be the case with all of Thierry’s wines.

Vintage 2016

$285

$275ea in any 3+

$265ea in any 6+

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In Magnum!

Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Thierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘Clos de Derrière Saint-Jean’ Monopole MAGNUM 2017

Well I couldn't find a review of this and haven't had a chance to taste it. Given the other 9 wines from 2016 and 2017 I've tried it's hard to see this being anything but true to form and simply put a 2017 version of the 2016!My Note on the 2016:Opens with juicy crunchy fruit that takes just a little while to settle in. More immediately overt than the others. There’s a build in tannin here that when you relate it back to the vineyard location near Rugien and listen to Anne Parents

Vintage 2017 Magnum 1.5L

$550

$530ea in any 3+

$510ea in any 6+

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MAGNUM ONLY 290 MADE!

Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Thierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘Clos de Derrière Saint-Jean’ Monopole MAGNUM 2018

Bottled in Magnum only, 290 bottled. This tiny monopole of the Domaine measures only 9.81 ares or the equivalent of only one-quarter of an acre; planted in 1947. This was de-stemmed, fermented in barrel, no pigeage and was not offered for tasting. Comes in its own wooden box.My note from the 2016:Opens with juicy crunchy fruit that takes just a little while to settle in. More immediately overt than the others. There’s a build in tannin here that when you relate it back to the viney

Vintage 2018 Magnum 1.5L

$575

$555ea in any 3+

$535ea in any 6+

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MAGNUM ONLY 225 MADE

Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Joannes Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘Clos de Derrière Saint-Jean’ Monopole MAGNUM 2019

Bottled in Magnum only. From the swimming-pool block; this is one of the smallest monopole 1er Cru sites in Burgundy. Following a 5-day pre-fermentation cold maceration the primary ferment then takes place in an open oak vat which lasts for 10 days; gentle pressing; the wine is matured in 50% new barriques for 15 months. Comes in its own wooden box.“Pale colour, but beautifully elegant. Very stylish with a lovely sweetness at the back, whole bunch not in evidence because there is none

Vintage 2019 Magnum 1.5L

$682

$662ea in any 3+

$642ea in any 6+

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A Grand Cru in all but name!

Anne Parent describes ‘Les Épenots’ as the best 1er Cru of the northern part of Pommard, have lots of clay over limestone. Producing wines of finesse, elegance, complexity with long finish precision & silky tannins. The high fashion of Pommard, the mysterious one.

Thierry’s Épenots is from Petit Épenots, considered by many to be the superior part of the vineyard.

Both ‘Les Épenots’ and ‘Les Rugiens’ have been proposed to be upgraded to Grand Cru status. The history of why they were listed as 1er Cru is fascinating based more on increased taxes on Grand Cru rather than the quality of the wine!

Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Thierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘Les Épenots’ 2016

There are 2 vineyards that are talked of when the best of Pommard is discussed. Les Épenots and Les Rugiens. It’s clear tasting Thierry's interpretations of these vineyards that there is merit in those discussion.WOW! This is very good. Seriously good. Again the vitality, stunning perfume, divine tannins of depth and style. The depth and drive through the finish of exceptional flavours. I am in a very happy place. A build in tannin weight over La Platiere with extra layers, a gentle sweep

Vintage 2016

$305

$295ea in any 3+

$285ea in any 6+

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Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Thierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘Les Épenots’ 2018

Attractively layered aromas are comprised by wisps of cherry, red raspberry, spice and more prominent earth nuances. There is outstanding volume to the caressing middle weight flavors that also possess a lovely sense of underlying tension while delivering excellent persistence on the balanced finale. This too needs to add depth with time in bottle, but the material is here for that to occur. Fine potential here as well. ♥ Sweet spot Outstanding Drink 2030+Burghound, 93 PointsAnne P

Vintage 2018

$310

$300ea in any 3+

$290ea in any 6+

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Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Joannes Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘Les Épenots’ 2019

Revisited in bottle, the 2019 Pommard 1er Cru Les Epenots is already very expressive, bursting with aromas of plums and raspberries mingled with peonies, rose petals, sweet spices and orange rind. Medium to full-bodied, melting and sensual, it's charming and enveloping, with an ample core of fruit and a long, saline finish. It's so giving out of the gates that it wouldn't be a crime to open a bottle now. Drink 2021-2039William Kelley, 94 PointsAnne Parent describes 'Les Épenots' as

Vintage 2019

$345

$330ea in any 3+

$315ea in any 6+

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A Grand Cru in all but name!

Anne Parent describes ‘Les Rugiens’ as having very different expressions depending on the exact site but tending to be more masculine.

Thierry’s ‘Les Rugiens’ comes from the bottom of the ‘Les Rugiens Haut’

Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Thierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘Les Rugiens’ 2016

There are 2 vineyards that are talked of when the best of Pommard is discussed. Les Épenots and Les Rugiens. It’s clear tasting Thierry's interpretations of these vineyards that there is merit in those discussion.The 2016 Les Rugien is exceptional. Darker, tighter and more structured than the Epenots while there is an extra edge to the tannins they are of very high quality. The oak is handled well again with just a fine sweep across nose and palate, nothing overt or distracting from a won

Vintage 2016

$305

$295ea in any 3+

$285ea in any 6+

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Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Thierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘Les Rugiens’ 2017

As expected this is delicious, and that little bit more giving over the 2016. I’d go so far as to say it’s drinking well now, again like all of the wines of the estate I’ve tried, a little extra time will be its friend. While I say it is drinking well now, I mean as a young Burgundy, the metamorphisis that occurs with great Burgundy always requires time. It’ll be smack bang in the drinking window well before the 2016. This is a case of celebrating the difference not necessarily choosing

Vintage 2017

$305

$295ea in any 3+

$285ea in any 6+

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Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Thierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘Les Rugiens’ 2018

As expected this is delicious, and that little bit more giving over the 2016. I’d go so far as to say it’s drinking well now, again like all of the wines of the estate I’ve tried, a little extra time will be its friend. While I say it is drinking well now, I mean as a young Burgundy, the metamorphisis that occurs with great Burgundy always requires time. It’ll be smack bang in the drinking window well before the 2016. This is a case of celebrating the difference not necessarily choosing

Vintage 2018

$310

$300ea in any 3+

$290ea in any 6+

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Pinot Noir from Pommard, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Joannes Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er ‘Les Rugiens’ 2019

The 2019 Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens has also turned out very well in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of plums, orange rind, peonies, exotic spices, loamy soil and cinnamon. Medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy, it's rich and textural, with lively acids and an ample core of fruit framed by ripe, powdery tannins. It, too, is very expressive out of the gates, to the point that readers shouldn't be afraid to try one young.William Kelley, 95 PointsAnne Parent describes 'L

Vintage 2019

$345

$330ea in any 3+

$315ea in any 6+

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Anne Parent shares her thoughts on the secrets to understanding Pommard in this podcast with Levi Dalton. Most revealing is here exploration of the diversity of styles, significant difference between the northern and southern parts of Pommard and within the two great vineyards ‘Les Épenots’ and ‘Les Rugiens’