2017 Dm Heitz-Lochardet Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Poutures Biodynamic, Cote de Beaune

The 2017 Pommard Clos des Poutures 1er Cru has a fresh, undergrowth-tinged bouquet that is a little loose-knit at the moment, though I am sure it will muster more cohesion with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. This is an elegant, beautifully poised Pommard with a pretty, peppery finish, the oak neatly embroidered. Not long-term, but certainly well crafted by Armand Heitz.

90 points Neal Martin vinous.com

This too is softly toasty with an abundance of earth and underbrush characters suffusing the slightly more elegant red currant-scented nose. The nicely detailed medium weight flavors possess an elegant mouth feel thanks mainly to the relatively fine-grained tannins shaping the attractively complex and lingering finish that reflects only a hint of Pommard-like rusticity. Drink 2024+

90 points Allen Meadows burghound.com

For 25 years, Brigitte Lochardet contracted the totality of her vines to Maison Joseph Drouhin. As Armand Heitz, the next generation, completed his oenology studies in 2011, he began recuperating his mother’s vineyards and converting them to full biodynamic practices. A young man with knowledge beyond his years, he completed his first vintage in 2013, guided by consulting oenologist Ludovic Pierrot who spent eight years at the legendary Domaine Leflaive, working alongside Anne-Claude Leflaive, the matriarch of Biodynamics in the Cote d’Or. Ludovic is actively assisting Armand with his plan to bring his 5ha of vineyards to production in three stages. He made five wines in 2013, a total of eight wines in 2014 and will bring the last two vineyards to bottle in 2015. The villages that Heitz-Lochardet produce are Chassagne-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, Meursault, Pommard and Volnay. Additionally there is a small amount of Bourgogne Rouge and Blanc.

The wines are aromatic, extremely balanced and expressive of their terroir - classic nods to old-school Burgundy winemaking practices. All Armand’s wines are whole cluster fermentations because he firmly believes that a wine’s essence is derived from the totality of the vine. Each component of the vine, from roots to leaves to stems, skins and pulp, plays an important role in a living wine.