Domaine Ponsot

Why we follow Domaine Ponsot

The estate

Founded in Morey-Saint-Denis in 1872 and, in the 1930s under Hippolyte Ponsot, one of barely a dozen Burgundy estates bottling its own wine. Hippolyte helped shape the appellation system and did pioneering work on Pinot Noir selection. Those early labels were hand-stamped and signed. Laurent Ponsot ran the winemaking from the early 1980s until 2017, when he left to found his own négociant business. The family domaine is now directed by his sister Rose-Marie Ponsot with Alexandre Abel as technical director, and nephew William Ponsot coming through. Two things follow from that split, and both are worth explaining to customers. Laurent took the leased Domaine des Chézeaux vineyards with him, which reduced the estate to around eight hectares of family-owned vines. And there are now two separate businesses carrying the Ponsot name, which is a genuine source of confusion in the market.

The vineyards

What remained after 2017 is the best of it. Ponsot is the largest owner of Clos de la Roche, and holds the Clos des Monts Luisants monopole, the only premier cru in Burgundy planted entirely to Aligoté, from vines that went in the ground in 1911. Grand cru accounts for the large majority of what the domaine bottles.

In the glass

Idiosyncratic and unapologetic about it. No sulphites are used in the winemaking, with the wine protected under nitrogen during racking and bottling. Harvest is late and new oak is minimal. Young Ponsot can be unpredictable; given time it is something else entirely. Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes is the flagship. Clos des Monts Luisants is one of the genuine curiosities of the Côte, and proof that Aligoté from the right site ages for decades.

With Lamont’s

Offered through the Private Cellar Selection, generally following the July release. Register your interest and we will contact you when the next allocation is confirmed.