Pommard Premier Cru 'Les Grands Épenots', Domaine de Montille, 2020 - Magnum
Pommard Premier Cru 'Les Grands Épenots', Domaine de Montille, 2020 - Magnum
- 150cl
- 13%
- Red Still
- Pinot Noir
- Organic
- Biodynamic
- Kosher
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Optimal drinking window: Now - 2043
Domaine de Montille wanted their first kosher wines to set a new benchmark so chose prestigious, discrete-sized premier cru sites that are picked at around the same time and usually early which is a bonus in a forward vintage like 2020. The cuvees have not needed acidification or chaptalisation either and both reds are 100% whole cluster so minimal intervention is required to ensure quality. To ensure the barrels are kosher, they are filled up three times with water, left for 24-hrs each time and emptied, then refilled with fresh water and rinsed. The barrels are then inspected and approved. This process necessarily begins four days prior to harvest.
The domaine's wines are known for their great aromatic purity. They always favour balance and elegance over power and extraction. The wines are classic expressions of Burgundy, of their appellations in general and of their specific terroirs in particular. The farming methods they use contribute to this individual style, and their winemaking methods aim to avoid excessive outside influences in order to bring out the equilibrium that can be found naturally in Burgundian terroir.
The Domaine has practiced organic viticulture since 1995. Today, their wines are certified by Ecocert. Additionally, since 2005, biodynamic practices have been implemented.
Pommard is an appellation that makes wine lovers dream. It is 312.76 hectares of Pinot Noir (115 hectares of which are Premier Crus) cover two terrains: south (on the Volnay side), the wines are elegant yet powerful; while in the north (closer to Beaune) the wines are silkier. However, this rule has some exceptions, like "Les Grands Épenots", which is planted on a combination of clay and limestone that is rich and heavy. This Premier Cru initialised a request for reclassification to Grand Cru in 2012.
The words "epeneaux, épenots, epenottes" certainly comes from the same root as "épine", or spine. It is possible that there were previously patches of thorny bushes in the middle of the vineyard. Their Pommard "Grands Épenots" is the most "Pommard" of their Pommards, showing its earthy, masculine side, which has impressive power despite the fact the nobility of the terroir gives it a certain refinement.
"From one of the two most reputed premier cru sites in the village, touching grand Cru quality. Darker, deeper cherry fruit, with tobacco, sandalwood, and hints of tamarind and star anise. Palate is both broad and linear, showing stricter, cedary tannins which are still ripe and juicy, with notes of cloves and tapenade around the red cherry and plum fruit, leading to a brightly herbal and stony finish."
Tom Harrow, Honest Grapes Wine Director
Right now, in 2026, the wine is still very much in its primary phase. The fruit is vivid and the tannins are present but not yet fully integrated, particularly in magnum where the wine ages at a slower, more measured pace. Expect the dark cherry and plum to gradually give way to more savoury, earthy secondary notes of forest floor, dried mushroom, and leather from around 2029 onwards. The wine should reach its plateau of complexity somewhere between 2032 and 2038, at which point the strict cedary tannins will have woven themselves into the fabric of the wine rather than sitting across it. Beyond 2040, the fruit may begin to soften and the wine will drink more contemplatively than powerfully, but a good magnum from a solid vintage like 2020 could hold well until 2045.
Tasting Notes
AppearanceDeep, dark ruby with a brooding core and just a faint garnet rim beginning to suggest the vintage's richness.
NoseDark cherry and plum lead, but there is real interest in the background: tobacco leaf, sandalwood, and a faint curl of tamarind and star anise that gives the whole thing an almost spiced-cedar quality. The whole-cluster fermentation adds a subtle leafy lift that keeps things fresh and honest rather than overripe.
PalateBroad and linear at the same time, which is the trick Grands Épenots pulls off better than almost anywhere in Pommard. The tannins are cedary and strict but ripe and juicy through the mid-palate, with red cherry and plum fruit cut through by clove spice and a savoury tapenade note. There is real grip here, and real generosity underneath it.
FinishLong, stony, and brightly herbal, with the kind of mineral persistence that marks out the best of this vineyard.
Overall impressionThe most Pommard of de Montille's Pommards, and one that makes a compelling case for why Grands Épenots has been knocking on the Grand Cru door.
Food Pairings
In Burgundy, this kind of structured, earthy Pommard would traditionally be paired with boeuf bourguignon, the long braise softening the wine's tannins while the wine pulls the dish's depth into focus. Côte de Nuits-raised cooks would also reach for a daube of beef with lardons, or a classic Charolais côte de boeuf grilled over vine cuttings. Duck confit works wonderfully, its rendered fat meeting the wine's structure without overpowering the red fruit. Locally made époisses or Cîteaux cheese, served at room temperature, bridges the earthy, savoury character of the wine in a way that feels entirely natural and wholly Burgundian.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve at 16-17°C. The magnum format means this wine is more tightly wound than a regular bottle at the same stage, so decanting for at least 90 minutes is worth the patience. A large-bowled Burgundy glass will allow the complex nose to open properly, and the wine will continue to evolve in the glass for a good hour after pouring.
Les Grands Épenots sits on the northern flank of Pommard, closer to Beaune, on a combination of clay-rich limestone soils that are notably heavier than much of the Côte de Beaune. That clay content drives depth and structure, giving the wine its characteristic weight and earthy backbone. The vineyard sits at around 250-280 metres, with a gentle east-facing slope that tempers the heat and preserves freshness even in a warm vintage like 2020. It is one of the two most reputed premier crus in Pommard and has been under review for Grand Cru reclassification since 2012, which tells you something about the quality of what the land can achieve.
Pommard is a village appellation in the southern Côte de Nuits that has always divided wine lovers, partly because its reputation for dense, earthy, muscular Pinot Noir made it a favourite of merchants producing big commercial wines that bore little resemblance to what the best sites can do. The appellation covers 312.76 hectares of Pinot Noir, with 115 hectares classified as premier cru across 28 named sites. The village broadly splits into two characters: the southern vineyards bordering Volnay tend to produce more elegant, lifted wines, while the northern sites towards Beaune, where Grands Épenots sits, lean darker and more structured. At its finest, Pommard is not the blunt instrument its critics describe but a wine of serious depth and mineral backbone that rewards patience.
We'll be honest: 2020 in Burgundy was a vintage that kept everyone on their toes. A warm, dry spring brought early budbreak, then summer turned properly scorching with temperatures hitting 40°C in August. The saving grace came from perfectly timed August rains that rescued the vines from serious drought stress, followed by ideal September weather that allowed for unhurried picking. Yields were mercifully normal after several years of frost-ravaged harvests, and crucially, the heat never tipped into the jammy territory that can plague warmer vintages here.
What emerged were wines with surprising freshness despite the heat, showing ripe fruit balanced by good acidity and lovely mineral precision. The reds have more immediate charm than the structured 2019s, with silky tannins and generous Pinot Noir character, whilst the whites display beautiful richness without losing that crystalline Burgundian tension we adore. This isn't a legendary vintage like 2005 or 2010, but it's thoroughly delicious and more approachable in youth than many Burgundy vintages. The village wines are drinking beautifully now, Premier Crus are just hitting their stride, and the Grands Crus will reward patience for another five to ten years.
FAQs
What does this wine taste like?
Dark cherry, plum, tobacco, and sandalwood on the nose, with a palate that is both broad and structured. Cedary, juicy tannins frame red cherry and plum fruit alongside clove spice and a savoury tapenade note, finishing long and stony with a bright herbal edge.
When should I drink this wine?
It can be opened now with a long decant, but it is not in a hurry. The magnum format slows development, so patience until 2029 or 2030 will be well rewarded. At its best somewhere between 2030 and 2040, and a well-stored bottle should hold comfortably until 2045.
Is this wine worth cellaring?
Absolutely. Grands Épenots from de Montille is built for the long haul. The combination of a serious site, whole-cluster fermentation, and the slower maturation of a magnum means this wine has the structure and concentration to develop into something genuinely compelling over the next decade and beyond.
What food should I serve with this?
Classic Burgundian fare works best: boeuf bourguignon, duck confit, or a well-aged côte de boeuf. If you want cheese, a ripe Cîteaux or Époisses bridges the earthy, savoury character of the wine perfectly.
How should I serve it?
Serve at 16-17°C in a large-bowled Burgundy glass. Decant for at least 90 minutes, ideally more given the magnum format. The wine will continue to open and improve in the glass for a good hour after pouring.
What makes Domaine de Montille's approach to this wine distinctive?
De Montille ferment entirely with whole clusters, which adds structure, freshness, and a subtle spiced complexity that you do not get from destemmed fruit alone. They farm organically and biodynamically, and their philosophy has always prioritised balance and aromatic purity over extraction and weight, which is why their Pommard feels refined even when it is, at heart, a powerful wine.
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