Domaines Jaboulet-Vercherre – Pommard ‘Clos de la Commaraine’ 1er cru 1981

Domaines Jaboulet-Vercherre – Pommard ‘Clos de la Commaraine’ 1er Cru 1981: A monopole from the heart of Burgundy

The 1981 Pommard ‘Clos de la Commaraine’ 1er Cru from Domaines Jaboulet-Vercherre is a wine of rare historical depth – a Premier Cru from one of Burgundy’s most prestigious monopole vineyards, produced by one of the region’s most traditional wine houses and hailing from a vintage that was long underrated yet yielded wines of remarkable elegance and longevity.

The Winery: From the Rhône to Burgundy

The history of the Jaboulet-Vercherreestate dates back to 1834, when Antoine Jaboulet founded the company in Tain-L’Hermitage in the Rhône Valley . After his death, his sons divided the estate: Paul remained in the Rhône Valley and built up the house that would later become world-famous asPaul Jaboulet Aîné, whilst Henri travelled north to Burgundy and merged his vineyards with those of his wife , Vercherre – thus the name Jaboulet-Vercherre was born . In 1920, the company opened cellars in Beaune and acquired the Château de la Commaraine in Pommard. Over the following decades, Jaboulet-Vercherre built up a considerable portfolio of vineyards in Burgundy – with over 30 acres in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, including plots in Chambertin, the Clos de Vougeot and the Romanée-Saint-Vivant. Among the house’s best-known wines were the Pommard ‘Clos de la Commaraine’ and the Beaune 1er Cru ‘Clos de l’Ecu’ – also a monopole vineyard. The Jaboulet-Vercherre estate operated both its own vineyards and a négociant business, producing nearly 750,000 cases of wine annually .

The vineyard: ‘Clos de la Commaraine’ – a monopole of rare cohesion

‘Clos de la Commaraine’ is one of the most remarkable Premier Cru sites in Pommard. The 3. 75-hectare, fully walled vineyard lies immediately north of the village of Pommard and is a monopole – a vineyard owned exclusively by a single family. This unity is exceptional in Burgundian viticulture: whilst most Premier Cru sites are divided amongst numerous owners, the Jaboulet-Vercherre family has been cultivating the Clos de la Commaraine continuously since 1920. The vineyard faces east and benefits from deep soils over a limestone subsoil, which lend the Pinot Noir remarkable structure, depth and minerality. The walled Clos is shielded from external influences and is particularly well-suited to organic and biodynamic cultivation – a factor that the estate’s subsequent tenants were to make specific use of.

The 1981 vintage: an underrated classic

The 1981 vintage is listed as a ‘Très bon millésime’ – a very good year – in the official classification of Pommard vintages . Following a cool, damp spring and a changeable summer, a sunny, dry September brought the decisive turning point: the grapes were able to ripen under favourable conditions and achieved remarkable concentration whilst retaining a lively acidity. The wines of the 1981 vintage are characterised by a delicate balance – they are less powerful than the great vintages of 1978 or 1985, but are instead elegant and refined, with silky tannins and a long, harmonious finish. For Clos de la Commaraine, whose wines are already among the most delicate in the Pommard appellation, the 1981 vintage proved ideal: it emphasised the elegance and finesse of the terroir without neglecting the power and structure typical of Pommard .

Tasting notes: A matured Premier Cru of rare elegance

After more than four decades of bottle ageing, this 1981 Pommard ‘Clos de la Commaraine’ is in a condition reserved for only the very greatest rarities. The tasting notes for the Clos de la Commaraine – which refer to more recent vintages but accurately describe the style of the vineyard – paint a picture of a wine of exceptional precision and finesse: ‘A beautiful, vibrant ruby red colour with subtle garnet-red highlights. The nose is remarkable, very refined with great depth, revealing complexity and sweetness. On the palate, it is supple, silky and harmonious, with a high degree of precision. The finish is very fresh with considerable persistence.” For a Burgundy that has been aged for over forty years, the tertiary aromas are likely to have long since replaced the primary fruit: undergrowth, leather, tobacco and dried red fruits characterise the bouquet, underpinned by the earthy minerality typical of mature Pommard and a hint of truffle. On the palate, it reveals a silky, almost velvety texture with finely polished tannins and a lively acidity – a wine that conceals its power behind elegance and culminates in a long, mineral finish. The community rating for the Clos de la Commaraine stands at 4.0 out of 5 points across all vintages – a testament to the consistent quality of this monopole vineyard.

The condition of the bottles: historical artefacts

The existence of the 1981 vintage is documented by auction lots at renowned houses. At Christie’s, a lot comprising a 1981 Corton Bressandes Grand Cru and a 1983 Pommard 1er Cru Clos de la Commaraine was offered, both domaine-bottled: Jaboulet-Vercherre. On lotsearch.net, a mixed lot featuring Chambolle-Musigny ‘Les Frivoles’ Jaboulet-Vercherre 1981 was auctioned, confirming the estate’s 1981 vintage. On jahrhundertweine.de, a magnum bottle (1,500 ml) of the 1981 Pommard ‘Clos de la Commaraine’ 1er Cru was offered – a rare large-format bottle that underlines the significance of this vintage for the estate. The bottles from this era bear the typical signs of their age: liquid levels between 1.5 and 3 centimetres below the capsule, slightly corroded capsules and labels soiled in keeping with their age – an appearance typical of wines of this vintage.

A window into a bygone era

For collectors and connoisseurs, the Domaines Jaboulet-Vercherre Pommard ‘Clos de la Commaraine’ 1er Cru 1981is far more than a rare bottle – it is a piece of Burgundian contemporary history. It was produced in a year when the Jaboulet-Vercherre family had already owned the Château de la Commaraine for over 60 years, and was vinified according to the traditions of a house that ranked among Burgundy’s most prominent négociants and estate owners. Anyone who opens such a bottle holds not only a rare Premier Cru in their hands, but a liquid monument to a bygone era of Burgundian winemaking – and a wine that, after more than four decades of ageing in the bottle , has retained remarkable depth, elegance and vitality.