Isabelle & Denis Pommier

Burgundy, France


http://www.denis-pommier.com/
At a Glance
  • In 1990, Isabelle and Denis Pommier took over two hectares of family vines in and around the Chablis village of Poinchy. Today the estate extends to 16 hectares.
  • The Pommiers are committed to the risky business of farming organically in an inhospitable growing climate, and they are among the few estates who hand harvest nearly all of their fruit.
  • Pommier’s lineup of Chablis, including the three premier crus, tend to be ever so slightly more generous on the palate in terms of power and amplitude, but with a clear and distinct core of briny minerality and acidicty that scream “Chablis”.

The estate of Isabelle and Denis Pommier was founded in 1990 when the Pommiers, a young couple at the time, decided to take over two hecrates of their family’s land to produce their own wines. It took them a few years to get it down right, and their first bottled release was in 1994. The estate now spans 16 hectares of vineyards with appellations ranging from Petit Chablis all the way up to thier three Chablis premiers crus of Fourchaume, Cote de Lechet and Troesmes (a sub-parcel in Beauroy).

Since the beginning, there has always been a strong respect for the land and the unique terroirs of the region, and sustainable farming techniques – lutte raisonnée - were used. Over the years,  emboldened by the qualitative gains resulting from working more naturally in the vineyards, the Pommiers transitioned to organic viticulture. The red lady bug on their bright yellow labels signifies this commitment. 

At harvest, the Pommiers are one of the few estates to hand-harvest a good portion of their production. In fact, all of the 1er Crus, and some of their old-vine villages parcels are harvested by hand, with sorting both in the vineyards and on the triage table. In the cellar, all of the wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts, with Chablis and Petit Chablis fermented 100% in tank, and the 1er Crus and Chablis “Croix aux Moines” [lieu-dit] fermented and aged one-third in barrel (mostly used) and two-thirds in tank for a period of 18 months.

The winery and vineyards are located in and around the village of Poinchy, which is just outside of Chablis itself. The wines from this area tend to be ever so slightly more generous on the palate in terms of power and amplitude, but with a clear and distinct line of briny minerality and acidity that unmistakably scream “Chablis”! The Pommiers also make a small amount of an energetic Bourgogne Rouge from vineyards just outside of Chablis near Chitry. The wine is made from de-stemmed fruit and raised in mostly neutral wood. As Pinot from the Yonne should be, it is delicate and light in color, but with beautiful fruit and a floral/blood orange quality that is quite compelling. Regardless of the wine, there is pleasure and value up and down the Pommier hierarchy.