Château de Pommard vows to ‘make Burgundy affordable’ in restaurants again
Château de Pommard is introducing “affordable” Burgundy cuvées that can be sold in restaurants by the glass for around €15 to address the problem of young wine lovers drinking less Burgundy because they cannot afford it.
The Burgundy estate, which dates back to 1726, has announced it is “reimagining its flagship Clos Marey-Monge with more distinctive cuvées” to address the problem. It has appointed industry veteran Jean-Philippe Lemoine, who previously general manager at Château d’Yquem and Château Cheval Blanc, as the new general manager to manage the estate’s future and drive the project.
The estate is launching Pommard by Château de Pommard, a new organic cuvee aimed primarily for restaurants, that can be sold for €15 per glass in restaurants, with the retail price in “select” wine shops for around € 50 euros per bottle.
Michael Baum, owner and CEO of Château Pommard argued that consumers “should not have to give up on Burgundy simply because it has become unaffordable”.
The new cuvee would “keep Burgundy on the wine list, by the glass, and within reach of a new generation,” he said.
Lemoine said his mission was “to make Château de Pommard and Burgundy relevant to the future of wine” and to put “consumers back at the centre of everything we do.”
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“Our efforts to make Burgundy affordable again and to craft more distinctive Clos Marey-Monge cuvées are important first steps,” he said.
His experience is key, having strengthened the global positioning and profitability of d’Yqyem, while expanding direct-to-consumer channels, while his work at Cheval Blanc involved refining the brand identity, modernizing the packaging, and build “robust insights into target markets, key clients, and end-consumer expectations”, the company said.
Established in 1726, Bourgogne’s Château de Pommard’s vineyard is the region’s largest privately owned clos, amounting to 20 hectares of Pinot Noir across seven sub-plots. The estate’s grand vin is made from a blend from the five main plots that make up the clos.
The 18th century estate, which was built in 1726 by a Paris lawyer and secretary to King Louis XV, was bought by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Michael Baum for an undisclosed sum in 2014. from property magnate Maurice Giraud, including 20 hectares of land belonging to the château in the Pommard appellation of Burgundy.
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We need both red and white Burgundies priced like that here in the U.S. too. A simple, decent Bourgogne would be fine. Unfortunately finding one on a WBG list here in California is highly improbable we are so provincial, finding even a California Pinot Noir on a list for U.S. $20.00 (about €17) BTG is highly unlikely. We so much enjoy traveling to Europe where wine is thought of as part of a meal, not a way to subsidize the price of a meal where tips of over 20% are now expected…including the outrageous sums charged for wine, BTG or bottle. Also, when in Switzerland in December we appreciated the size of the glass pour of both wine and beer itemized on the menu.Might also have seen it in Germany. Here you don’t know whether you get a small pour or a half-glass, and what size that glass might be.