Billard-Gonnet, Pommard 1er Chapponnieres Vieilles Vignes, 2008

This is old-school Pommard from one of the village's most stubbornly traditional addresses. Domaine Billard-Gonnet traces its roots to 1766, and Philippe Billard farms his Pommard premiers crus with open-vat fermentation, hand punch-downs, and no fining or filtering. Chaponnieres is a structured, broad-shouldered site, and this old-vines cuvee always needs time. The 2008 is now fully mature, the most evolved of these back-vintage bottles. A cooler, classically proportioned year that has aged into a graceful, savory place.