2018 Heitz-Lochardet Pommard 1er Cru 'Les Rugiens'

New to domaine bottling but far from new to viticulture in Burgundy, Heitz-Lochardet is a rising star and of our favorites here at SommCellars. Armand Heitz is the dynamic heir to his family's winery which has history back to the mid 19th century. Upon completion of oenology school, Heitz made the huge leap to begin bottling at his domaine after generations of traditionally selling fruit to top négoicants such as Drouhin. Sustainable viticulture with minimal interference is at the foundation of Heitz's approach with the results being clear in a well-rounded array of terroir-specific transparent wines.

With their approach to red winemaking, Heitz-Lochardet attempts to be quite hands off and include an impressionable amount of whole-cluster. 'Rugiens' has been held in high esteem for centuries making it one of the first vineyards in the Côte de Beaune to be bottled separate. From iron-rich soils, Heitz-Lochardet crafts a 'Rugiens' that is one of their sturdiest wines yet still maintains great freshness and lifted aromatics.