Domaine Parent, Pommard (Burgundy, France) “La Croix Blanche” 2014

($71, Jeanne Marie des Champs Selection): There could be a more reliable producer of Pommard than Domaine Parent, but I doubt it.  If you want to experience the wines of this famed Burgundian village, Parent is the place to start.  Their 2014s are stunning — a term reserved more for the whites of that vintage than for the reds.  But this is Burgundy, so generalizations are difficult.  Make no mistake, Domaine Parent’s 2014 Pommards are thrilling young wines.  La Croix Blanche is a vineyard classified as a village wine, not a premier cru, though you’d be excused for thinking it falls into the latter category after tasting it.  Anne Parent says she opts to bottle it separately every year because she thinks its quality lies between village and premier cru appellation.  She alters her winemaking accordingly with a slightly longer maceration and barrel aging. The 2014 is marvelous, with a tension between fruitiness and savory minerality.  Suave tannins almost hide its power.  It’s a great choice for the cellar.
91 Michael Apstein Apr 5, 2016