- Starts:October 6, 2020 4:00 pm
- More Details
There is history of innovation here with it being one of the first Domaines to practise estate bottling in the 1930s, and perhaps more significantly the Ponsots were among the first growers to understand the importance of clones and clonal selection – many of the most important Pinot Noir clones originate from their vineyards.
The first Ponsot on the scene was William, originally from St Romain but on returning from the Franco-Prussian war he settled in Morey St Denis in 1872 and bought vineyard land including the Clos des Monts Luisants. He was succeeded in 1920 by his cousin and godson, Hippolyte Ponsot, who was joined by his son Jean-Marie in 1942. Jean-Marie, long-time mayor of Morey, ran the business from 1958 until the early 1980s when his son Laurent, currently the man in charge, took over.
Right from the start in 1872 the Ponsots bottled a proportion of their own wine, although this was only for the family and their restaurants- they owned the franchise for all the station buffets in northern Italy! Hippolyte took the decision to bottle the entire production of the domaine in 1934.
Laurent Ponsot takes a very individual approach. He uses no insecticide or pesticide but does not call himself organic. He pays attention to the moon and the stars, and the rhythm of plant life, but would not wish to be described as biodynamic. When the grapes are, eventually, picked, they received a faint dusting of sulphur but no more is used either during vinification or maturation, or indeed at bottling, except in the case of a specific problem.
There is no sorting table, because any defective bunches, or parts of bunches, have already been removed in the vineyards, before picking. The healthy grapes are destalked, for the most part, and allowed to ferment whenever they wish and for as long as they wish., with punching down or pumping over being used as Laurent sees fit in a given year. Excesses of temperature are controlled but otherwise the grapes are left to their own devices, before the juice is sent to barrel: not new wood, not even young wood, but barrels which are 10 or more years old. The wines may or may not be racked before bottling, assuming the moon is suitable, at some point in the spring or summer of the second year after the vintage.
In 2017 Laurent Ponsot stepped down from the estate to concentrate on personal ventures. Rose-Marie Ponsot became the sole Director of the company, seconded by Alexandre Abel.
Join Alexandre as he guides us through the history and evolution of Domaine Ponsot as we enjoy these specially chosen wines.
Wine Samples:
2010 Domaine Ponsot, Cuvée du Burdon, Corton Le Corton Grand Cru
2010 Domaine Ponsot Clos de Vougeot Cuvee Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru
2010 Domaine Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru
2010 Domaine Ponsot Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru
2010 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru ‘ Cuvée Vieilles Vignes’
2010 Domaine Ponsot Clos St. Denis Grand Cru “Très Vieilles Vignes "
Delivered to the UK £315
Delivered to EU £325