Daniel and Martine Barraud – Saint-Véran Les Pommards 2005

📜 The winery: Domaine Barraud

The Barraud family’s winery in Vergisson sets the standard for first-class white Burgundy wines from the Mâconnais region.

• History and Family: The winemaking tradition began in 1905. Daniel and Martine Barraud took over the estate in 1979 and established it as a benchmark for the region. Today, the fourth generation, led by their son Julien and his sister Anaïs, is at the helm.

• Winegrowing practices: The family places great emphasis on quality and manual labour. The vineyards are organically farmed (certified since 2019), and the grapes are harvested by hand. The wines are vinified gently and are usually bottled unfiltered.

🍇 The wine: Saint-Véran “Les Pommards”

“Les Pommards” is one of the estate’s best-known vineyards and was first bottled as a single-vineyard wine in 1978.

• Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay.

• Terroir: The vineyard is situated on the limestone soil of the “Roche du Solutré”, in the immediate vicinity of the vineyard of the same name in the neighbouring appellation of Pouilly-Fuissé. The soils are pure limestone; the vines are situated at an altitude of over 350 metres and face north-east, which ensures a cooler microclimate and fresh acidity.

• Vine age: Depending on the source, the vines used for this wine are between 40 and 60 years old. This advanced age is a key factor in the wine’s concentration and depth.

• Ageing: The wine is aged in barriques (20 per cent of which are new) for 12 months, followed by a further two months in tank.

📅 The 2005 vintage in the Mâconnais

The 2005 vintage was of exceptional quality throughout Burgundy. Although there are no comprehensive assessments for the Mâconnais, the general characteristics of the vintage – ripe, concentrated fruit combined with good acidity – point to a wine with great potential. The estate itself began the transition to organic farming around this time, which is likely to have further enhanced the purity of the fruit.

🍷 Character and drinking window

Even without a specific review for the 2005 vintage, the character of this wine can be deduced from descriptions of other vintages and general information. For example, a tasting note for the “Les Pommards” describes aromas of grapefruit and apricot, as well as a hint of vanilla and ginger spices, combined with a juicy acidity and a long, intense finish.

• Current condition: A Saint-Véran of this age from a top producer should now be at the peak of its maturity. The combination of a rich fruity core, mineral terroir and good acidity promises a complex, well-balanced wine.

• Serving recommendation: It is recommended to decant the bottle and serve the wine at around 12–14°C to allow its full range of aromas to unfold.

Summary

The Daniel et Martine Barraud Saint-Véran Les Pommards 2005 is a mature white wine from one of the finest producers in the Mâconnais, which benefits from an outstanding vintage and old vines on a unique limestone terroir. It promises the combination of richness, minerality and freshness typical of the site and should now be at its ideal drinking stage.