Armand Heitz : Pommard 1er cru "Rugiens" 2022

Characteristics and Tasting Notes of the Rugiens 2022 Armand Heitz

Tasting

Color
The Rugiens 2022 reveals a deep red color, a hue consistent with a structured, concentrated pinot noir still in its early years.

Nose
The nose opens on a fresh bouquet of red berries, lifted by floral accents, herbal touches and subtle meaty nuances, suggesting an aromatic complexity that belies the wine's youth.

Palate
On the palate, the wine shows a youthful, juicy character, with a focused expression of red berries, delicate floral and herbal notes, and a hint of meatiness. Lively acidity and tannins that are present yet supple carry through to a notably long finish.

Food and wine pairings

This Pommard 1er Cru is well suited to white meats, lamb and mutton, as well as game dishes, where its structure and freshness can match the intensity of these preparations.

Serving and cellaring

The Rugiens 2022 is best served at a temperature of around 61 to 64°F (16 to 18°C). This wine from Armand Heitz can already be enjoyed, while also carrying the aging potential generally associated with Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens, which may extend from 10 to 15 years.

Other characteristics

With 12.5% alcohol, residual sugar below 3 g/l and total acidity around 5.9 g/l, this is a dry, lively wine sealed with a natural cork closure, allowing for a slow and favorable evolution in the bottle.

Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens: a structured and vibrant Burgundy from Armand Heitz

The Estate

The Domaine et Maison Armand Heitz was created in 2012, when Armand Heitz took over the family vines in Burgundy and began vinifying and bottling under his own name. Based in Chassagne-Montrachet, the estate today farms around twenty hectares across the Côte de Beaune, with extensions in the Côte de Nuits and Beaujolais. Armand Heitz, trained as both an oenologist and an agricultural engineer, remains the owner and leading figure, known for integrating his vines into a broader regenerative farming system.

The Vineyard

Les Rugiens lies south of the village of Pommard, on an east-facing slope that benefits from gentle morning sun exposure. The climat unfolds from a gently sloping lower section, rich in iron oxide, toward a stonier, lighter-soiled upper section, creating a gradient that shapes the wine's power and vibrancy. The pinot noir vines are tended following agroecological principles, with permanent soil cover, no tillage and organic matter brought in from the estate's own farm.

The Vintage

The 2022 vintage in Burgundy was generous in volume while delivering good ripeness, following several more challenging years marked by frost and drought. These favorable conditions allowed the grapes to reach a balanced maturity, supporting the expression of the Rugiens terroir in this vintage.

Winemaking and aging

The Rugiens 2022 follows the estate's approach to pinot noir vinification, which favors a high proportion of whole-cluster fermentation and careful hand-sorting of the grapes before they reach the vat. Winemaking decisions are guided largely by regular tasting throughout the process, allowing maceration length, cap management and the extent of new oak used during aging to be adjusted to the character of the vintage and the climat.

Grape Varieties

100% pinot noir.