The 2021 Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens opens in the glass with aromas of plums, orange zest, peonies and sweet soil tones, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered palate with good depth at the core, sweet tannins and a long, saline finish.

The 2020 Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens is terrific, unfurling in the glass with aromas of sweet berries and plums mingled with warm spices, orange rind, licorice and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, rich and velvety, it's seamless and complete, its multidimensional core of lively fruit concealing its chassis of ripe, powdery tannins.

The 2019 Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens is another fine success, unwinding in the glass with aromas of sweet berries, raw cocoa, citrus peel, plums and rich soil tones. Medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, it's deep and concentrated, with fine tannins, lively acids and excellent mid-palate amplitude. Refined and elegant, Pillot notes that part of the domaine's holding in Rugiens Bas have been replanted, meaning that more than half of this cuvée will be derived from Rugiens Hauts for the next few years.

There are five barrels of the 2018 Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens, a brilliant young wine that bursts from the glass with aromas of cherries, wild berries, rich soil tones, licorice, smoked meats and spices. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's muscular and broad-shouldered, built around rich, powdery tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long and sapid finish. This is one of the finest red wines I've ever tasted from this under-the-radar domaine.

The 2017 Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens is the king of the cellar, unfurling in the glass with a lovely bouquet of cassis, smoky plums, spices, orange rind and rich soil tones. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, with a fleshy core of fruit that cloaks its rich structuring tannins, succulent acids and long finish. This hails from vines planted between 1964 and 1980 in both Rugiens Bas and Rugiens Haut.