Domaine de La Pousse d'Or | Cuvées and Vintages

Presentation of Domaine de La Pousse d'Or

Arguably the finest and most prestigious Burgundy house in Volnay, the Domaine de la Pousse d'Or has existed since the 1100s, when the Duke of Burgundy held all the titles in the country. It was originally called Bousse D'Or or "Terre d'Or" in Middle French (the name is commemorated in their flagship wine, Clos de la Bousse D'Or), but over time the word evolved into its current iteration. In the 19th century, it was part of a larger estate that also encompassed other renowned properties such as Romanée-Conti and Clos de Tart. But without proper maintenance and over time, the estate fell into disuse, which is a shame considering the potential it offers for such regal winemaking.

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In the end, it was Gérard Potel who resurrected Domaine de la Pousse d'Or. In 1964, Potel acquired the estate by marrying the owner's neice. He unified the two Volnay properties into a 17-hectare nucleus, where Pousse d'Or is headquartered today. With his untimely death in 1997, the estate passed into the hands of the current winemaker, Patrick Landanger. Landanger decided to move on to bottling his first two vintages (1997 and 1998) and devoted himself to acquiring land. To the Volnay parcels, he added a 20-hectare slice of Corton Bressandes and 3 hectares of Grand Cru Corton Clos du Roi. In 2004, he added 28 hectares of Puligny Montrachet Les Caillerets, followed by parcels of Chambolle Musigny (Bonne Mares, Amoureuses, Feusselottes and Groseilles) and finally 12 hectares of Clos de la Roche.

Diligent green harvesting and selection lead to very low yields. Mechanical sorting precedes manual sorting, then the grapes are destemmed. Some biodynamic practices. All wines are unfined and unfiltered. Pousse d'Or has three premier monopoles in Volnay: Clos de la Bousse d'Or, Clos d'Audignac and Clos des Soixante Ouvrées. They also make a 1er Cru Santenay Clos des Tavannes (a 2 ha parcel on the border with Chassagne), a 1er cru Pommard (Les Jarolllières) and two grands cru Cortons.

The wine undergoes one week of cold soaking, followed by three weeks of maceration. The wines are then transferred to 30% of new oak and bottled 15-18 months later, depending on the vintage.

 

La Pousse d'Or vintages

• Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru :

It can be enjoyed after 3 to 5 years in the cellar, or can evolve in the cellar for at least two decades. It has more richness and intensity than the Corton-Bressandes at an early stage, with layers of black cherry, raspberry coulis, brown spice and undergrowth emerging with time. Complexity is really present here. The palate is fresh and detailed, with fine tannins, measured acidity and a lively, judiciously spicy finish.

• Volnay 1er cru Bousse d'or :

It can be drunk young after decanting, or cellared for up to 15 years in great vintages! This cuvée has a little more new oak than the other premier crus (around 30 % of new oak), but there's also blackberry and blackcurrant fruit and crushed violet aromas that appear with aeration in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe red cherry and cranberry flavors, fine, sharp tannins, and a good expression of terroir with a hint of white pepper and spice towards the lively finish. 100% Pinot noir. The vines are cultivated without pesticides or insecticides, and the only input, manure, is of natural origin. The soil is worked, without weedkillers, to maintain aeration and suppleness.

 

 

• Pommard 1er cru Jarolières :

This cuvée offers succulent scents of black cherry, blackcurrant and iodine on the nose. It resembles the characteristics of Pommard and reflects the style of the appellation. The palate is dense and grippy on entry, with firm, powerful tannins and a hint of white pepper towards the end. The wine is very well balanced, even if it lacks a little finesse.

 

 

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Domaine Pousse d'Or wines to know:

Chambolle Musigny La Pousse d'Or
Corton Grand Cru Clos du Roi - La Pousse d'Or
Corton Grand Cru Les Bressandes - La Pousse d'Or
Pommard 1er Cru Les Jarolières - La Pousse d'Or
Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru - Le Cailleret - La Pousse d'Or
Santenay 1er Cru Clos Tavannes - La Pousse d'Or
Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Bousse d'Or - Monopole - La Pousse d'Or
Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets - La Pousse d'Or
Volnay 1er Cru Clos d'Audignac - La Pousse d'Or
Volnay 1er Cru Clos des 60 ouvrées - La Pousse d'Or

 

Here are some tasting details:

Volnay Clos d'Audignac

2016 tasting by Neal Martin:

"The 2016 Volnay 1er Cru Clos d'Audignac offers one of the most powerful bouquets among La Pousse D'Or's 16, with showy scents of black cherry, blueberry and light licorice, quite rich and extravagant. The palate is lively and quite taut on entry, and seems to have other ideas. It's more introverted and linear, more black fruit than red, with a slightly grainy finish. Moderate length here. Good, but again, I'd like to see more charm develop once in bottle."

 

Volnay en Caillerets

Tasting of the 2009 by Antonio Galloni :

"The Volnay En Caillerets 2009 bursts with a huge, explosive bouquet. Blackberry, blueberry, hard candy and spice are just some of the notes that emerge from this intense, layered Burgundy. There's a lot of inner tension here, in fact, the Caillerets seem to be holding back a lot of their potential. This is a dazzling wine, and built for the long haul. Expected maturity: 2014-2049. This is a magnificent set of wines from Patrick Landager. The vintage has produced a set of big, big wines that may shock some readers for their intensity. These are among the most backward 2009s I've tasted and will require a lot of patience."

 

Corton-Bressande Grand Cru

2016 tasting by Neal Martin:

The 2016 Corton Bressandes Grand Cru has a perfumed bouquet with ample aromas of redcurrant, cranberry and blueberry, with hints of iris and incense developing over time. The new oak (30%) is perfectly integrated here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, quite saline on entry with a sense of concentration and harmony. It becomes spicier, almost peppery towards the finish, which is nice and quite detailed. Excellent.

 

Chambolle-Musigny village

Tasting by Neal Martin :

The Chambolle-Musigny Village has a lovely bouquet of red cherries and boysenberry scents, all elegant and modern, yet retains sufficient delineation and freshness. The palate is medium-bodied, with a fine backbone, well-balanced and with more expression of terroir than some of the premier crus. Enjoy it over the next decade.

 

Clos des 60 ouvrées

Tasting of the 2016 vintage by Neal Martin :

The 2016 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des 60 Ouvrées has an elegant bouquet of fragrant, violet-tinged black and red fruits, well-defined with hints of brown spice and iris emerging over time. This shows pleasing restraint. The palate is medium-bodied with sandy red and black fruit on the entry, well-judged acidity, then hardens a little towards a structured, almost Pommard-like finish that suggests it will need several years in bottle.

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For further information: Domaine de La Pousse d'Or official website