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Pommard Premier Cru

Pommard Premier Cru wines are those made under the strictest production conditions of the Pommard appellation. The most fundamental of the rules is that the grapes must come exclusively from Pommard vineyards which have been officially rated as premier cru by the INAO, the French government organisation responsible for the country's appellation system.

The vineyards of Pommard are sandwiched together between the steep Mont Buisson and Montagne-Saint-Desirée hills, separated by the narrow Dheune valley and the fertile plains below. This topography results in a distinctive belt of prime vine-growing land between exposed sites on the 1,300ft (400m) hilltops and the very fertile, deep soils of the flatter land below. Pommard's Pinot Noir vines produce their best wine grapes when grown in shallow, mineral-rich soil with good drainage. As a result, the lower-lying land is reserved for the less-prestigious Bourgogne AC appellation.

The streets and houses of the village of Pommard are the only break in the belt of premier cru vineyards that runs all the way from Beaune to Monthélie. The make-up of the area's soils varies, ranging from the deeper, richer alluvial types on the lower slopes, through the classic Burgundian clay-limestone soils on the mid-slopes, to marl and brown soil in the higher sites. The more "masculine" style of many Pommard wines is the result of "gamey" flavours created by iron-rich patches of soil, and of the mineral-rich clays that are particularly prevalent in the premier cru sites.

As is the case in every Burgundy commune, the names attributed to the official premier cru climats are based on the much-longer-established names of the lieu-dit sites around which they are structured. For example, the walled Clos Micot vineyard is named after Comte Vivant de Micault, the count who built the Château de Pommard in the 18th century. Likewise, the Largilliere site has long been known for being particularly rich in clay – l'argile in French.

The 28 climats of Pommard Premier Cru are:

- Clos Blanc
- Clos de la Commaraine
- Clos de Verger
- Clos des Epeneaux
- Derrière Saint-Jean
- En Largillière
- La Chanière
- La Platière
- La Refène
- Le Clos Micot
- Le Village
- Les Arvelets
- Les Bertins
- Les Boucherottes
- Les Chanlins-Bas
- Les Chaponnières
- Les Charmots
- Les Combes Dessus
- Les Croix Noires
- Les Fremiers
- Les Grands Epenots
- Les Jarolières
- Les Petits Epenots
- Les Pézerolles
- Les Poutures
- Les Rugiens Bas
- Les Rugiens Hauts
- Les Saussilles

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