Les Grands Épenots sits at the Beaune end of Pommard, and it makes the case for the other side of the commune's character. Where Rugiens is dark, iron-rich and muscular, Épenots is the more perfumed and finely drawn of the two great Pommard premier crus, with lighter, more calcareous soils producing a red of real elegance.
The nose is lifted and floral, with red cherry, raspberry and rose petal over a light savoury spice. The palate is supple and silky, the tannins present but fine-grained rather than imposing, and the finish is long, fresh and gently earthy. It is Pommard with the volume turned down and the detail turned up.
Pierre Girardin established his domaine in Meursault in 2016, having grown up in his father Vincent Girardin's cellar and taken on parcels the family deliberately held back. Wild yeast fermentations and ageing in oversized barrels are the constants across his range, reds included.
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