Domaine Comte Armand’s Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epeneaux 2014 is a 100% Pinot Noir from one of Burgundy’s landmark monopoles: the 5-hectare Clos des Epeneaux in the Côte de Beaune. The site is unusually large for a Premier Cru and has been in single ownership since the pre-Revolutionary era, entering the Comte Armand family in 1828. Its east-facing, walled vineyard is rooted in ferruginous marl with limestone debris over Argovian limestone, a combination that helps explain why Clos des Epeneaux is so often described as a marriage of Pommard muscle and structure with precision.

The 2014 vintage is also defined by rarity. A severe hailstorm hit Pommard on 28 June, and this bottling reportedly “lost roughly 90% of its crop” (Rue Pinard). That dramatically reduced yield is part of the story here: a classic vineyard in a curtailed vintage, with the concentration and definition that can come with it.

In terms of élevage, the domaine notes an extended approach: “22 months with 40% new barrels” (Domaine Comte Armand), which aligns with the estate’s broader style goals of keeping power in check through measured oak and long aging. Alcohol is listed at 13% ABV (Rue Pinard).

Critical reception is strong, especially considering the vintage’s challenges in the appellation. Vinous rated the wine 91 points (Vinous), an excellent review that places it at the top end of the published scores available here. The Wine Advocate awarded 90 points (Wine Advocate), signaling a wine that delivers quality and typicity. On the 20-point scale, Neal Martin scored it 18.4/20 (as reported by Rue Pinard), and Jancis Robinson rated it 17.8/20 (as reported by Rue Pinard), reinforcing the picture of a well-regarded Clos des Epeneaux that performs confidently in 2014.

Overall, Clos des Epeneaux 2014 reads as a focused, site-driven Pommard: structured, polished by long élevage, and made unusually scarce by hail—an important factor for both collectors and drinkers tracking the domaine’s most defining vineyard.