Ponsot
About Domaine Ponsot
Founded by a soldier returning home from the Franco-Prussian War in 1872, radical thinking and revolutionary ideas seem to be something of a family trait. The current eccentric Ponsot at the helm of this fabulous estate is Laurent, who is making wildly unique yet utterly Burgundian wines from some of the finest Grands Crus in the entire region.
The Winemaking
Although classified as neither biodynamic nor organic, he uses no insecticide or pesticide on his vines that are an average of 50 years old. To ensure quality, the label is unique for having a white spot that turns grey if the bottle has been subjected to extreme temperatures.
Laurent Ponsot studies the moon and the stars (he is not an astronomer), and their effect on the rhythm of life in the vineyards. A holistic approach that sees him lean heavily towards low intervention winemaking techniques to respect this natural harmony. The faintest touch of sulfur is afforded to the grapes upon picking if absolutely necessary, and there is no sorting table in his winery. Once pressed, the liquid is essentially allowed to ferment whenever it wishes for as long as it wishes. Once the wines have achieved the requisite state of their own accord, they may or may not be racked in the following spring or summer depending on the cycle of the moon.
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(3x75cl) 2019Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (96-99)
5 star wine The average age of the vines is 65. On the darker side of imperial purple and then, what a magisterial nose, clearly ahead of anything else in the cellar! Clos de la Roche ripened early this year, so for once was picked earlier in the piece. Not too late fortunately, but the level of ripeness in terms of fruit profile can certainly be seen. We are in the presence of a grand wine for sure, with perfectly balanced acidity to carry it through and exceptional persistence. Tasted: November 2020.HK$9,815.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (96-99)
5 star wine The average age of the vines is 65. On the darker side of imperial purple and then, what a magisterial nose, clearly ahead of anything else in the cellar! Clos de la Roche ripened early this year, so for once was picked earlier in the piece. Not too late fortunately, but the level of ripeness in terms of fruit profile can certainly be seen. We are in the presence of a grand wine for sure, with perfectly balanced acidity to carry it through and exceptional persistence. Tasted: November 2020.HK$20,945.00 -
Vinous (96-98)
The 2020 Clos de la Roche Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru has a beautiful, concentrated bouquet, predominantly red fruit intermingled with orange zest, blackcurrant and pressed iris flower. The palate is very well structured with fine tannins, real weight and depth, this Grand Cru seeming to fill every pore of the mouth. It just fans out marvelously with a residual spicy note lingering long after the wine has departed. Superb.HK$6,680.00 -
Vinous (96-98)
The 2020 Clos de la Roche Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru has a beautiful, concentrated bouquet, predominantly red fruit intermingled with orange zest, blackcurrant and pressed iris flower. The palate is very well structured with fine tannins, real weight and depth, this Grand Cru seeming to fill every pore of the mouth. It just fans out marvelously with a residual spicy note lingering long after the wine has departed. Superb.HK$25,290.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (96-99)
5 Star Wine. 32 barrels made, which is equal to half the red wine cellar! A bright even purple. A slightly nutty note to the otherwise reticent bouquet. Then follows a vast volume of fruit right across the piece, a density which is in a different league to the Chapelle. Absolutely swamps the palate and with the characteristic precision of the vintage. Excellent fresh feel to the finish. I think this is a wine which could explode in volume from here, with so much of the fruit expression currently being held back by the tension. Drink from 2035-2045+.HK$8,135.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (96-99)
5 Star Wine. 32 barrels made, which is equal to half the red wine cellar! A bright even purple. A slightly nutty note to the otherwise reticent bouquet. Then follows a vast volume of fruit right across the piece, a density which is in a different league to the Chapelle. Absolutely swamps the palate and with the characteristic precision of the vintage. Excellent fresh feel to the finish. I think this is a wine which could explode in volume from here, with so much of the fruit expression currently being held back by the tension. Drink from 2035-2045+.HK$4,625.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (96-99)
5 Star Wine. 32 barrels made, which is equal to half the red wine cellar! A bright even purple. A slightly nutty note to the otherwise reticent bouquet. Then follows a vast volume of fruit right across the piece, a density which is in a different league to the Chapelle. Absolutely swamps the palate and with the characteristic precision of the vintage. Excellent fresh feel to the finish. I think this is a wine which could explode in volume from here, with so much of the fruit expression currently being held back by the tension. Drink from 2035-2045+.HK$28,085.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (96-99)
5 Star Wine. 32 barrels made, which is equal to half the red wine cellar! A bright even purple. A slightly nutty note to the otherwise reticent bouquet. Then follows a vast volume of fruit right across the piece, a density which is in a different league to the Chapelle. Absolutely swamps the palate and with the characteristic precision of the vintage. Excellent fresh feel to the finish. I think this is a wine which could explode in volume from here, with so much of the fruit expression currently being held back by the tension. Drink from 2035-2045+.HK$11,755.00 -
(6x75cl) 2022Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (96-99)
5 Star Wine. 32 barrels made, which is equal to half the red wine cellar! A bright even purple. A slightly nutty note to the otherwise reticent bouquet. Then follows a vast volume of fruit right across the piece, a density which is in a different league to the Chapelle. Absolutely swamps the palate and with the characteristic precision of the vintage. Excellent fresh feel to the finish. I think this is a wine which could explode in volume from here, with so much of the fruit expression currently being held back by the tension. Drink from 2035-2045+.HK$25,785.00 -
Burghound (93)
A gorgeously expressive and densely fruited nose featuring aromas of violets, rose petal, earth, game and mostly red berry fruits merges into slightly austere but wonderfully complex full-bodied flavors that flat out explode on the tremendously long finish. I did not taste this originally from cask and frankly wasn't expecting that the quality would be equivalent to the fantastic Clos St. Denis but it is indeed comparable. A great '04 Clos de Vougeot.HK$24,265.00 -
(1x75cl) 2007HK$4,080.00 -
Wine Advocate (91-93)
The 2014 Clos Vougeot Cuvée Vieilles Vignes took a little more coaxing from the glass than its fellow Grand Crus. Quite opaque at first, the nose is deep with a mixture of red and black fruit (blacker than Laurent Ponsot's Grand Crus from Gevrey for example). The palate is medium-bodied with fine, supple tannin and grippy in the mouth, suggesting just a little more extraction perhaps? This has real weight and presence, though I would like to see more detail and tension come through on the finish. Whatever, it will need some serious aging in the cellar.HK$14,615.00 -
(6x75cl) 2015Burghound (93-95)
This too is notably ripe but even more restrained with its layered array of earthy dark berry fruit aromas and subtle spice notes. There is terrific concentration to the muscular and surprisingly sleek full-bodied flavors that are delicious and also possess excellent mid-palate density that drenches the palate in sappy dry extract that also completely buffers the robust tannic spine on the explosive, rustic and hugely long finish. This is an imposingly powerful effort that is also going to need a very long snooze in a cool cellar. Textbook Clos de Vougeot.HK$26,490.00 -
Vinous (91-93)
(from a single parcel in Petit Maupertuis, just below Grands-Echézeaux): Saturated dark red with ruby highlights. Slightly medicinal, very reticent nose hints at black cherry, licorice and earth. Very rich, seamless and sweet, conveying an almost a chocolatey quality to its dark cherry, licorice and spice flavors. Finishes rich and long, with serious but sweet building tannins. This wine, too, has close to 14% alcohol.HK$12,590.00 -
Vinous (91-93)
The 2017 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru comes from two different parcels, one on the Vosne-Romanée side in Petit Maupertuis and the other toward the bottom of the clos under the Château de la Tour. It has quite an opulent bouquet of macerated small black cherries and bilberry jam, though the late malolactic means that there is still some reduction. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin. This feels dense, almost opaque at the moment, offering layers of black cherry and boysenberry laced with orange peel and brown spices toward the grippy finish. Give this five to seven years in bottle. One of the best from the _ domaine_ this year.HK$13,505.00 -
HK$10,270.00 -
Burghound (92-94)
(the majority of the fruit derives from Le Petit Maupertuis). Once again, the restrained nose is quite deeply pitched with more earth influences on the softly spicy aromas of poached plum, dark raspberry and hints of cassis. There is both excellent vibrancy and delineation to the muscular large-scaled flavors that retain a relatively elegant mouthfeel, and particularly so for Clos de Vougeot, all wrapped in a youthfully austere and exceptionally firm finale. Despite being constructed to age for 20+ years, this finish is not particularly hard or rigid. With that said, ample patience will definitely be in order. (92-94)/2039+HK$3,335.00 -
Burghound (92-94)
(the majority of the fruit derives from Le Petit Maupertuis). Once again, the restrained nose is quite deeply pitched with more earth influences on the softly spicy aromas of poached plum, dark raspberry and hints of cassis. There is both excellent vibrancy and delineation to the muscular large-scaled flavors that retain a relatively elegant mouthfeel, and particularly so for Clos de Vougeot, all wrapped in a youthfully austere and exceptionally firm finale. Despite being constructed to age for 20+ years, this finish is not particularly hard or rigid. With that said, ample patience will definitely be in order. (92-94)/2039+HK$16,860.00 -
(1x75cl) 2020HK$2,895.00 -
Jancis Robinson (18.5)
Four barrels made from 103 year-old vines. The yield in 2008 was just 12 hl/ha (‘We lose money on it’, according to Laurent Ponsot). Very opulent with a hauntingly layered nose. Almost more reminiscent of a cherry liqueur than a wine. Great energy – rather like a healthy drink for its real spine of life. Subtle, sweet, wild and long but with excellent freshness. ‘Probably the sort of wine that was drunk 200 years ago,’ Ponsot claims.HK$38,945.00 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2009 Clos St. Denis Cuvée Tres Vieilles Vignes, from vines planted in 1905, is a weightless, elegant wine laced with crushed raspberries, autumn leaves, licorice and subtle earthiness. The wine flows through effortlessly to the long, impeccably textured finish. Yields were a minuscule 12 hectoliters per hectare here. 6,600/case; sold in mixed case of 12 btls.HK$40,880.00 -
(1x150cl) 2014HK$8,700.00 -
Jancis Robinson (18)
From Corton-Paulands, but it includes Corton-Bressandes in 2012. Lip-smacking nose – very appealing. Masses of ripe fruit and juice. Lots of energy and fruity excitement. Crackling impact. Much more vital than the average Corton.HK$9,105.00 -
Wine Advocate (89-91)
The 2014 Corton Grand Cru Cuvée de Bourdon has quite a complex bouquet, the initial rush of redcurrant and cranberry fruit followed quickly by marine/sea spray aromas, flint and limestone very subtle but there underneath. I like the definition and the focus here. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit. There is a seam of spice here, bitter red cherry, some hardness apropos that tannin towards the finish that needs a little more flesh. That may develop by the end of its élevage. This is broody, capricious Corton, but I would like to see more charm.HK$10,815.00 -
Vinous (89-91)
(from Clos du Roi and the grand cru portion of Les Paulands, plus a bit of Perrières): Bright, full red. Sexy carnal scents of plum, red cherry and spices. Then quite dry and uncompromising on the palate, showing more soil than primary fruit today. In a rather strict style and tough going at present. Finishes with substantial, slightly drying tannins.HK$9,160.00 -
Wine Advocate (91-93+)
The 2017 Corton Grand Cru Cuvée du Bourdon unfurls to reveal a classy bouquet of ripe cherries, licorice, spices and candied violets, with little hint of the savory complexity to come. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, tangy and youthfully firm, with a lovely line of acidity underpinning its concentrated core of fruit. Abel observes that efforts have been made to render this cuvée in a more elegant register, all the while retaining the distinctive profile and aging potential of these vineyards. This year's blend is composed of some 60% Les Paulands, 20% Les Perrières and 20% Clos du Roi.HK$7,800.00 -
HK$1,880.00 -
(6x75cl) 2019HK$11,220.00 -
HK$10,775.00 -
Vinous (91-93)
The 2021 Corton Cuvée de Bourdons is perfumed and floral, quite Vosne-like, with peony and persimmon tincturing the vibrant red berry fruit. Airy in style. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, sappy and just a little New World-like in style thanks to its joie-de-vivre and breeziness. Ponsot's populist cuvée! Less has made something more.HK$5,480.00

