Score: 93/100 Points
Simone is the flagship cuvée by Chateau de Pommard.
The winery and stunning Bugundy estate located, obviously in Pommard in the Cote de Beaune, and the biggest privately-held Monopole in Burgundy, was bought by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Michael Baum in 2014.
The new owner changed the Clos name, from Clos du Château de Pommard back to its original and historical name Clos de Marey Monge.
With his team, Michael Baum identified a half-hectare vineyard (1.2 acres) with a very distinctive clay-rich soil classified as première cuvée in Jules Lavalle’s 1855 analysis of Burgundy’s soils.
In 2009, Claude and Lydia Bourguignon proved Lavalle’s classification inaccurate and made a comprehensive scientific study confirming that Simone’s soils has one of the highest recorded clay densities in Burgundy, equal to a Grand Cru.
The ‘Simone’ vineyard, with its 100% Pinot Noir grapes, is taken care of with particular love and affection, horse-ploughing the soil, hand-picking the grapes, and barrel-aging Pinot Noir wine for an extended 22 to 28 months.
2016 Simone: Overall Review Notes & Tasting Impressions
A powerful and pungent Pinot Noir, with a rather intense appearance for the grape, in a dark purple red color.
The aromatic profile boasts extravagant and utterly-tempting notes of juicy fresh red berries, dark cherry, ripe blackberry and raspberry.
With elegant underlying notes of white pepper, sweet spices and delicate French vanilla, Simone is both complex and extremely lively to smell at.
You want to keep enjoying its layered and charming nose, sniffing and sniffing over and over again, as it is so pleasing. But at the same time, you also want to dig further and have a taste. Again, utterly-tempting!
From there the palate doesn’t disappoint, with an explosion of vibrant red griotte cherry flavors lifted by intense peppery spicy notes. Milk chocolate and vanilla, complemented by a myriad of sweet spices, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom, give the impression of tasting a black forest cake combined with a warm and comforting Christmas pudding.
Tannins are soft and velvety, while a delicate round body coats a crisp acidity bringing the vibrancy of the fruity character to life.
Fine notes of herbal characters and a salivating bitterness to the finish, much like one of a fine bitters liqueur, make for a long-lasting experience.
A very long and layered Pinot Noir, delivering a thrilling array of sensations and a vibrant fruity sensation, yet it is all expressed with lightness and a rare aerial character, like a cloud of bursting and vibrant fruity and spicy flavors.
The incarnated elegance of lively young Pinot Noir Burgundy wine, backed up by the fascinating personality of a great Pommard.
Enjoy
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