- 95 points -

The best of the de Courcel reds in 2017, this comes from dense clay soils on the northern side of Pommard. Intense, scented and very rich, it has aromas of incense, white pepper and forest floor, with masses of dark, inky fruit, granular tannins and balancing freshness and acidity on the finish.

- 95 points -

It’s always interesting to compare this with the similarly named Clos des Epeneaux from
Domaine Comte Armand, which is silkier and more open-knit. This is another wine that
makes no concessions to youthful drinkability, but will age well based on the evidence of
previous vintages. Yes, it’s tannic and chewy, but the fruit beneath the carapace is rich,
vibrant and alive.

- 95 points -

Impressive, richly constituted, and substantial wine. The aromas are complex, with plum and mulberry fruit accented with earthy, meaty, savoury notes and hints of saline/mineral on the finish. The texture is dense, tannic, and firm, with lots of extract and a finish that lingers interminably on the palate. Although this is a classic Pommard in style, everything is in balance here and there is superb potential for cellaring - this will be better opened in a few years, and should age well over the medium- to long-term.

- 95 points -

Impressive, richly constituted, and substantial wine. The aromas are complex, with plum and mulberry fruit accented with earthy, meaty, savoury notes and hints of saline/mineral on the finish. The texture is dense, tannic, and firm, with lots of extract and a finish that lingers interminably on the palate. Although this is a classic Pommard in style, everything is in balance here and there is superb potential for cellaring - this will be better opened in a few years, and should age well over the medium- to long-term.

- 94 points -

A dense, well-structured style, yet with ample black cherry, blackberry, violet and iron flavors for balance. This red unfolds nicely, leaving a complex finish that introduces an accent of bittersweet chocolate. Excellent length. 

- 94 points -

Here too there is a hint of menthol to the less elegant but more complex nose that displays a dazzling array of spice, floral, earth, underbrush and red currant aromas. There is outstanding richness to the powerful and velvet-textured big-bodied flavors brimming with ample amounts of dry extract that relegate the firm tannic spine to the background on the mouth coating and hugely long finish. This is a burly and quite serious effort that is not especially rustic though one that will require plenty of cellar time to reach its peak.

- 93 points -

The Domaine de Courcel owns a large part of the heart of the Epenots vineyard, within the walls of a clos. This is a wine with a solid structure, cherry and spice flavors, an elegant feel to go with the ripe berry fruits. It is very balanced, the tannins a great support to the fruit.

- 93 points -

Deep ruby-red color. Darker and more brooding on the nose than the Frémiers, offering aromas of blackberry, kirsch and licorice complicated by subtle suggestions of spices, flowers and minerals. A step up in concentration on the palate too, but with an element of saline minerality giving the wine a light touch. A bit more delineated than the Rugiens; in fact today this wine makes the Rugiens seem almost monolithic by comparison. Finishes with very fine-grained tannins and lovely mounting lift. For all its intensity, this wine gives a weightless impression--and really calls for food. This lovely Pommard has a long life ahead of it.

- 93 points -

(91-93) POINTS

(from an enormous 4.92 ha parcel with vines ranging from 50 to 65 years of age). Super ripe liqueur-like yet still reasonably fresh aromas of plum, cassis, earth and a broad array of spice elements precede the massively concentrated flavors that are almost imposingly powerful. The finish drenches the palate with dry extract and this is quite simply lavishly opulent. What is perhaps more remarkable still is how a wine that is so firmly structured can at the same time be approachable...

- 93 points -

A beautifully layered nose of purple fruit, violets and soil tones leads to exceptionally rich, velvety and sappy medium weight plus flavors that brim with dry extract that does a fine job of buffering the very firm but not hard tannic spine on the dusty and mocha-infused finish. This is a highly complex and robust but reasonably refined and well-balanced Epenots that is built for the long haul.

- 93 points -

Gorgeous aromas of toasty oak lead off in this polished red, followed by black cherry, blackberry and spearmint flavors. The structure present, yet ably matched by concentrated, ripe fruit. 

- 92 points -

*Outstanding* Here the nose is notably ripe and quite densely fruited with a mix of underbrush, warm earth, game and red currant aromas that introduce dense, serious, robust, indeed even burly flavors that are quite primary and culminate in a very firm finish that delivers excellent length.

(91-94) points

Liqueur-like aromas of black cherry, plum, kirsch and cassis display a broad array of floral top notes. The impressively scaled large-bodied flavors are incredibly concentrated as the dry extract imparts a sappy texture and almost renders the very firm tannic spine invisible on the dusty, austere and compact finale. This is also old school and ultra-serious so I repeat the advice for the Fremiers, e.g., don’t buy this without the intent to cellar it over the longer-term.

92+

Deep red-ruby. Aromas of cassis, black cherry, violet, menthol and chocolate call to mind a top wine from Saint-Emilion; just a hint of jamminess. Thick, pure creamy cassis in the mouth; really shockingly fresh and primary, but then I tasted this barely a month after it was bottled. At once dense and juicy on the long, chocolatey finish. I may be underrating this today. Confuron told me that the pHs in his 2009s are in the high 3.8 to 3.9 range, but maintained that one can modify the impression of acidity with fresh aromas and tannins.

93+

Good bright full red. Deep, nuanced aromas of red berries, spices and underbrush. Rich, vinous and deep, with sweet redcurrant fruit lifted by peppery spices. Shows terrific vivacity and precision in spite of its modest acidity (the pH here is 3.7, according to winemaker Yves Confuron), no doubt due to the whole-cluster fermentation. This generous, sensual wine finishes with fine but seriously gripping tannins.