Pommard Rugiens, Domaine Michel Gaunoux 2017

More brooding than the Grands Epenots, the 2017 Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens unfurls in the glass with a deep-pitched bouquet of cassis, black cherries, rich soil tones, peonies and dark chocolate, deftly framed by a discreet touch of oak. On the palate, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a textural attack, muscular but velvety structuring tannins and a long, resonant and intensely sapid finish. This is a brilliant wine from Gaunoux, and one of the wines of the vintage along the Côte de Beaune this year. 2027 - 2053

A moderately high-toned and decidedly restrained nose derives from both the red and dark side of the fruit spectrum with its array of fresh red cherry, plum, earth and violet scents. There is fine richness to the focused, tautly muscular and mineral-driven middle weight flavors that possess excellent depth and length on the impressively long finish. Note that at least moderate patience will be necessary, and this should be capable of rewarding a decade plus of bottle age. Note: from a .69 ha parcel