Tasted in Gilly les Citeaux with everyone’s favourite Bond villain, Laurent Ponsot, 5 July 2022.
Laurent Ponsot SAS
10 Rue Des Cerisiers
ZA Petite Champagne
21640 Gilly Les Citeaux
Tel: +33 3 80 41 03 27
www.laurentponsot.wine
More reports for Laurent Ponsot.
The news of the last 12 months was the sale of the Mercier family’s des Chézeaux ‘domaine‘ to a well-known producer in the Côte de Nuits. I say ‘domaine‘ because, of course, they made no wine. All the Mercier vines were leased out to Domaines René Leclerc in Gevrey, Berthaut-Gerbet in Fixin and the largest volume to Laurent Ponsot. I asked him, going forward, what it would mean for him: “Well, I have a contract, so I’m not expecting anything to change for me.”
Laurent on 2020:
“All have been bottled since June – starting in February. As usual, we were practically the last to be harvesting – just a little later than Damoy. I would use the word harmony for this vintage – the analyses were as if they came out of the textbooks. It was quite a small vintage in terms of volume, though – unfortunately – it’s about 80k bottles per year here, on average, but just 62k in 2020.”
The wines…
Another top year for L.Ponsot! I thought his 2019s grandiose and that he would struggle to match that in 2020 – I was wrong! It wasn’t always the same wines that I called great in 2020 – there’s so much for you to discover here!
As each year now, tasting only after bottling:
2020 Bourgogne Rouge Cuvée des Peupliers
“This is a good example of what we want to produce – maybe Bourgogne is the most difficult to achieve but what I want to have is a great wine that isn’t made by declassifying villages or higher wines – it should come from regional places and this also allows us to keep a reasonable price – of course, you can pay €800 for the Montrachet but you can also buy Bourgogne for €16… My style should be an absence of style! Here a blend of 10 locations”
Concentrated, dark cherry notes – the palate too – so concentrated yet direct and fresh with no fat. Holding some vibration to the flavours in its impressive length.
All three hills, with 8 different 1ers in here – ‘The same price as my Gevery-Chambertin village. A paradox to produce natural wines and have so much technology around the process but you need to protect the grapes and the wines – this actually helps us to do nothing. A horse looks nice in the vines but where its foot lands is heavier than any tractor with low pressure in the wheels.’
Mineral, darkly aromatic so clean is the impression. Hmm, supple, fluid, ooh now that’s got tons of character – lovely acidity and waves of fresh flavour that come crashing down too. Clean and mineral finishing – that’s a great Beaune.
2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée l’Aulne
From 10 different parcels including some that are owned.
A more direct nose – still of dark fruit. Supple, complex flavour energy – sinewy. Super wine.
2020 Chambolle-Musigny Cuvée La Violette
Again with about 10 components.
Higher tones – with a little extra dimension to these higher tones. A little more relaxed impression to the shape and texture here. Slightly more tannic but not a bit ‘structural’
A more vertical nose – so deep! Hmm, so wide, so beautiful texture – extra depth to this flavour. Vibrantly flavoured with such finishing complexity. That’s another great wine.
Hmm – now here’s a little more aromatic volume – and showing a beautifully cushioned clarity of aroma. Downright beautiful entry impression, slowly adding some finishing structure. Soon to be great wine.
A more elegant and silky nose – less overt energy but still such an invitation. Extra silky, more fluid and direct, more mineral, very fluid – great wine!
2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée En Ergot du Mélèze
On the side/inside Petite Chapelle
Dark, a little saline. Mouth-filling, lovely mouth-watering, almost juicy energy – one that makes me think a little of Estournelles though they are not geographically close. Powerful finishing, tannin but without grain – that’s a wine that will really impress with a little age – at least excellent wine!
2020 Clos de Vougeot Cuvée du Cèdre
Was 6, now it’s from 7 different providers of grapes from 10 locations – ‘from all over the clos’
Extra sparkling flashes of aromatic complexity. Mouth-filling – there is scale here – structure. Mineral with a small tannin adhering to the surfaces. I find this beautifully shaped and is one of the first wines that I would actually recommend some patience – though it’s so eminently drinkable today.
2020 Echézeaux Cuvée de l’Érable
From 0.35 hectares
Deep, funky, reductive, complex, fecund. Brilliant clarity, with width and fluidity of flavour – really vibrant in the finishing flavours, what a wine!
2020 Charmes-Chambertin Cuvée du Cyprès
Also from about 0.3 hectares
A different shape – some extra width of aroma – some almond complexity. Beautiful shape and entry – clarity to this flavour with some late-arriving tannic elements – though like all these wines, without grain. A beautiful wine.
That’s such a beautiful, elegant – smaller nose – but with no less emotional impact. This is the best thing I’ve put in my mouth for a long time! Clean – wonderful, emotional wine.
Frêne – an ash tree.
Airy – a style like the Latricières, here with a little more volume. More obviously wearing its concentration than the last wine but certainly without fat or heaviness. Ooh – fuller in the finish too, slightly more structural finishing. Another great wine, but at this age it’s a little behind the >Latricières – just like in 2019.
“My previous Chambertins were never my favourite examples from here but it’s clear that since we added grapes from other contracts it is clearly a better wine and definitely has the level of a Chambertin.”
Broader, faintly spicer, certainly with a different style of complexity. Such a cool and fluid energy – beautiful clarity. Big and energetic finishing like the Bèze but with an easier structure to assimilate. Complete wine.
Lovely width of aroma – an almost silky dark minerality to this width. Juicy fruit, wonderful texture and there’s width to these flavours too – fading with mineral width. Simpler but definitely not shorter than the Chambertin. That’s a top Griotte!
2020 Bonnes-Mares Cuvée de l’Amandier
Laurent is now a proprietor here. “I would need 140 years of selling the grapes to get the purchase price back – it’s clearly nonsense even before inheritance tax is calculated and it is this which forces the land into the hands of richer people. We are killing the golden goose!”
A more direct block of aroma – but such clarity – aromatic, more mineral than previous wines. Structural but clearly a different animal to the equally structural Clos de Vougeot – lots of very fine tannin but again grainless. Vibrantly finishing and so long – extra long, even in this company. For keeping, and it has the potential to become great.
2020 Clos St.Denis Cuvée du Merisier
Hmm – that’s a slightly smoky width of aromatic complexity. A little smoke complexity in the flavours too, mouth-filling without excess. A finish of volume, energy, mineral complexity and some bitters – certainly not shorter than the average wine here, just a little less insistent than the BM but similar in length, just easier. At this stage the 2019 was obviously great wine – this year’s wine isn’t yet great!
Les whites:
2020 Bourgogne Blanc Cuvée du Perce Neige
A little riper fruit, some apple but definitely not towards ‘bruised.’ Direct, faintly tannic, mineral, a subtle rigour. This has lots of positives but I’d be waiting about 12-24 months before retasting.
2020 Meursault Cuvée du Pandoréa
Multiple providers – mainly must, rarely grapes for the whites from here.
Less full but cleaner aromatics – that’s a very attractive nose. Fine and mineral again – less rigour, more accessible. A weight of fine finishing flavour here – still for keeping, still serious – but lovely too!
2020 Meursault-Blagny 1er Cuvée du Myosotis
There’s no 2021 of this – it was all frozen…
A little more aromatic volume, again, here with some extra sweetness and cooked yellow citrus. I see an extra depth and generosity to the flavour and texture. Almost chewy in the finish – it’s easily my favourite so far.
2020 Meursault-Charmes 1er Cuvée de la Centaurée
Hmm – less width but a deeper, ripe citrus and stone fruit. Fleshy but still with a proper structure – not classically (common) Charmes but what a wine. That’s a really excellent wine!
2020 Meursault-Genevrières Cuvée de l’Ipomée
Extra aromatic energy – a great invitation. Gorgeous in the mouth – easily the wine with most fluidity and least rigour. Delicious today – a super wine!
2020 Meursault-Perrières Cuvée de l’Hellébore
A deeper aroma and broader at the base. An extra structure – a chalky tannic texture. Vibrant again – here’s a super wine and one that’s just a little more serious in shape versus the Genevrières.
“A wine that represents all the areas of CC with 6 different suppliers.”
Deep, not fatty but dripping with essence of Charlemagne, floral with white blossom. Impact, juicily growing with flavour – what a wine – but one that’s most definitely for keeping. Bravo!