Pommard & Volnay 2024: Pick of the bunch from an early-drinking set of wines

The wine from Rugiens Haut is a fixture of the Benjamin Leroux line-up; this year, it is particularly successful, particularly given a difficult vintage. It features a pleasant, plummy fruit aroma with notes of ginger, smoke and leather. The texture has more of the traditional grip and depth than the village wine, making this a classic wine for ageing.

Les Rugiens-Bas has long been among the flagship cuvées of Domaine de Montille. In 2024, it produced a marvellous result, with ripe mulberry fruit and hints of tar, black tea and bay leaf. The texture is firm yet supple, with ample tannins restrained by gentle handling. The grapes are from a hectare of vines in two parcels – one more than 50 years old, and the second, younger. They were fermented as two-thirds whole bunch and are ageing in barrel, 40% new.

The newly revitalised Clos de la Commaraine is taking its place among the outstanding properties of the village. The new régisseur, Paul Krug, is working in a modern style. His flagship wine in 2024 is light in colour but very expressive aromatically, with a pronounced aroma of cherries and rose petals. The grapes are from a 3.63ha clos near the village itself. Krug’s style is approachably supple but not lacking in structure or length. This will be accessible soon after bottling, but will also age gracefully.

The 2024 vintage of Pommard Rugiens from Domaine de Courcel was, uncharacteristically, almost more forward than the Epenots. Often closed in its youth, the 2024 showed rich aromas of ripe mulberry and plum with hints of earth, cedar and spice. The texture, however, was true to form – very tannic and solidly-built. The grapes are from a hectare of vines at mid-slope that are fermented as whole bunches. Unlike many wines in 2024, this will make old bones.

The oldest vines on the Château de Pommard estate are found in the parcel called Chantrerie; the wine it produces is perhaps my favourite for its elegance. If less powerful than the Nicolas-Joseph cuvée, it is more concentrated than 75 Rangs. Chantrerie is true to its Pommard roots yet still manages remarkable elegance. This will drink well soon after release, but it has the substance for at least mid-term ageing as well.

Svelte and crunchy, initially showing a bit of smoky, sulphury reduction, although this will certainly fade after bottling. On the palate, the fruit raspberry and pomegranate fruit aromas are complemented by a floral edge and hints of peppery spice. Bigger and more tannic than the Champans or the Clos des Chênes, although it lacks their generosity – it may require a decade to show at its best. In 2023, Lafon's 3.8ha produced 75 barrels; in 2024, it only yielded 25.

Well-balanced, with ripe mulberry fruit and notes of liquorice, flint and spice, leading into a texture that initially seems very silky but whose grippy tannins appear with time and carry the wine to a lingering finish. The grapes are from 0.38ha of mature vines; they were destemmed and gently fermented before mainly ageing in used barrels. This will open after three to five years and should drink well for a further 15.

In 2024, the Champans from Buffet was my favourite in this cellar, offering pronounced aromas of plum and blackberry fruit with hints of tar and cedar. The texture had more body and depth, elevating the wine above the rest of the premiers crus. Although this is usually fermented with up to one third whole bunches, the entire crop was destemmed in 2024.

The 2024 Caillerets produced by Domaine Louis Boillot is the best of the Côte de Beaune wines in this cellar, boasting pronounced ripe blackberry fruit with hints of rose petals and spice. The feel is concentrated, supple and long – really top notch. Unfortunately, there is little to go around, since the 0.2ha holding produced only a half-barrel in 2024. Half of the vines are 80 years old, the other half were recently replanted and are trained high, and the vine shoots are woven together (tressage).

A tiny production, from just 0.12ha; Lafarge was pleased to have been able to produce it – along with all the other appellations – in 2024 despite the difficult conditions. It wasn't easy, everything had to be painstakingly destemmed by hand. The result, however, was worth the effort, with a ripe plummy fruit and abundant extract balancing fresh acidity to lead the wine to an elegantly lingering finish.