The end of April marked the opening of the long-awaited Château la Commaraine, a new hotel in the little town of Pommard, in the southern section of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. The town itself is almost as intoxicating as the highly valued red wine produced here. Pommard has two châteaux, an 18th-century church, around 500 inhabitants, and 28 official premier cru climat vineyards. The Pinot Noir wines were mentioned by Gustave Flaubert in Madame Bovary, and the juxtaposition of their powerful structure and elegant flavor was described by Victor Hugo as “C’est le combat du jour et de la nuit” (the fight between night and day). Now the town finally has a suitably wonderful place to stay.
Château la Commaraine dates back to the 12th century, as do the roots of its rare clos monopole—a single-walled plot owned entirely by one proprietor, unusual in Burgundy, where most vineyards are split among many growers. The vineyard was first planted by pioneering monks and has been continuously harvested ever since. Records note the approval of Thomas Jefferson, who visited in 1787, declared the wines “of excellent quality,” and ordered 124 bottles.
