Domaine Parent, Pommard Premier Cru (Burgundy, France) 2012

As the name of the vineyard suggests, there’s lots of clay in the soil, which explains the weight and density of the wine.  And given its ferrous nuances, there’s likely to be iron in the soil as well.  This wine has the weight, power and dark fruit qualities I associate with young, fine Pommard and stands in clear relief to Parent’s Pommard Les Chanlis, which lies at the other end of the appellation, both geographically and stylistically.  This beautifully structured and balanced wine from the excellent 2012 vintage needs years — or a decade — in the cellar to unfold and blossom.