2010 Philippe Pacalet, Pommard Premier Cru, Les Arvelets

The 2010 Pommard Clos des Arvelets blossoms on the palate with sweet red cherries, crushed flowers, mint and spices. The Arvelets impresses for its caressing texture and fine overall balance. There is plenty of underlying minerality to give the wine its energy, but I also see this drinking well upon release. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2025. Philippe Pacalet’s wines stand apart from the vast majority of wines being made in Burgundy today. Pacalet favors a very natural approach to viticulture and winemaking. Whole bunches, with 100% stems, are crushed by foot. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation are done with indigenous yeasts and bacteria. There is no SO2 added during vinification. A touch of SO2 is added towards the end of aging and again just before bottling. These are some of the most natural wines being made in Burgundy today. At the same time, it is impossible to escape the fact that the house style marks these wines to a greater degree than is common throughout the region. The Pacalet wines are undoubtedly beautiful, but they are also eccentric. They should only be purchased by readers who like and understand this style of winemaking, or by those who seek to understand it. Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334-8191