Château de Pommard Winery Guide

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Last updated: April 5, 2024

Winery Overview

Welcome to the most famous address in Pommard! This prestigious and gorgeous large estate is one of the great names in the Côte-d’Or, both for its white wines and, in particular, the Grand Vin du Château Pommard, produced from a legendary single vineyard within the appellation. With a formidable history of quality wine production, Château de Pommard needs little introduction to Burgundian wine lovers. Over the centuries, each generation of Château de Pommard’s owners has done much to further the high reputation of the area’s wines, producing vintage after vintage of superlative wine. However, the name is slightly misleading, for the estate is actually comprised of two glorious Châteaux, built in the 18th and 19th centuries, respectively. With a separate but intertwined history, both properties make for a fascinating discovery in the world of Burgundy.

The estate has quite an aristocratic pedigree; the first property, known as Château Vivant Micault, was built in 1726 by a French noble of the same name. As a key member of the court of King Louis XV, Micault used his influence to construct a grand Regency-style Château on the site of a decaying Feudal building that the conflicts of history had ravished. The original building dates back to the Middle Ages – legend has it that Henry IV visited the Château and tasted the wines of Pommard during his travels through Burgundy. Sadly, the outbreak of the French Revolution meant difficult choices for the incumbent Marey-Mogne family; they sold the Château, kept the vineyards, and eventually, the future generation constructed a new Château once the political turmoil had passed. Château Marey-Mogne, designed in a bold neoclassical style, was founded in 1802 and is today considered the main Château of Château de Pommard. Subsequently, the Nicolas-Joseph Marey family brought back the first building, and finally, the two historic Châteaux, along with the precious Clos, were reunited under single ownership. In 1936, it was acquired by the Laplanches family, who kept control of the estate until 2003, when the legendary Maurice Giraud brought it.

Giraud, a successful entrepreneur from the Savoie region, is justly recognized as the best thing ever to happen to Château de Pommard. He promptly installed Philippe Charlopin of Gevrey Chambertin as estate manager and initiated a series of massive quality improvements and investments into winemaking. Unlike some of his neighbors, Giraud was also aware of the importance of wine tourism; the Château is now a beacon for visiting wine lovers, offering a world-class art collection, no less. At the age of 73, Giraud retired and sold the estate to an American investor, Michael Baum, in 2014. The Silicon Valley whizz kid has promised to continue Giraud’s vision of no-expense-spared winemaking and tourism facilities, with plans to open a luxury spa hotel in the works.

Today, Château de Pommard’s wines are considered the finest ever made in the history of the estate. Thanks to major investment and the savoir-faire of cellar master Emmanuel Sala, the wines are rarely anything less than superb. Sala takes a somewhat intuitive and responsive approach to winemaking, emphasizing the style of a particular vintage rather than producing reliable if bland consistency. However, despite the variance in styles seen across different years, the wines are usually concentrated, fruit-driven, and structured. With a wide range of wines from different appellations, there is something to please everyone. Still, connoisseurs swoon over the powerful and age-worthy Grand Vin – a fitting testament to the Château de Pommard Clos’ unique terroir. Visit this beautiful property on a private wine tour of Burgundy with us; please contact us for more details.