96 points, Robb Report
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95-97 points, Wine Advocate
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94 points, Jasper Morris
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93-96 points, Burghound
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91 points, Vinous
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About the Wine
Critic Reviews
96 points, Robb Report
95-97 points, Wine Advocate
94 points, Jasper Morris
93-96 points, Burghound
91 points, Vinous
“The 2017 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes is also showing very well from bottle, unfurling in the glass with a deep bouquet of sweet red berries, plums and cassis, complemented by sweet soil tones and lifted top notes of orange rind and peonies. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it’s deep and concentrated, its velvety tannins and succulent acids cloaked in an ample core of fruit. This is a brilliant wine from Domaine Ponsot.”
95-97 points, Wine Advocate
“The first vintage produced since the departure of Laurent Ponsot, the 2017 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes soars from the glass with a deep and complex bouquet of rose petal, wild berries, plums, sweet spices, wood smoke and rich soil. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, layered and velvety, with an elegantly textural attack, excellent depth and concentration and an ample chassis of fine-grained tannins that are almost entirely concealed by a generous core of vibrant fruit. The finish is long, intense and stony. One of the wines of the vintage, this magical Clos de la Roche stands out for its striking dimension and completeness.”
94 points, Jasper Morris
"(Tasted separate from the 150th anniversary). The first vintage of the new order, though intentionally, had no change from previous methods. Glowing pink-purple in color. A supple fruit comes out on the nose, seeming rather attractive and quite forward, so it is pleasing to have much more grip on the palate, even a slight bitterness. High-toned cherries and a raspberry note, some tannins, and good acidity. Accessible already, yet up to standard for a grand cru. Very persistent, perfumed, and balanced. 13.5% alcohol."
93-96 points, Burghound
“A spicy, cool and gorgeously complex nose reflects notes of both red and dark currant, earth and a whiff of leather. There is excellent richness to the concentrated and beautifully textured broad-shouldered flavors that possess focused power and a subtle minerality that really comes up on the youthfully austere and strikingly long finish. As good as the Chapelle is, there is just another dimension present here.”
91 points, Vinous
“The 2017 Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru does not quite deliver the same complexity as its peers, coming across earthier and more backward, though it does develop a very attractive mineral element. It frays at the edges in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fine acidity, clean, red berry fruit and a touch of black pepper, but it lacks a bit of complexity and feels a little forced and pruny on the finish. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting. -- Neal Martin”
About The Winery
Vineyard Brands has a history spanning more than 40 years of buying wines from Domaine Ponsot - first from Hippolyte Ponsot, later from his son Jean-Marie, and most recently from Laurent and Rose-Marie. Domaine Ponsot's history begins in 1872 when William Ponsot purchased a wine estate in Morey-Saint-Denis and set up his home there. His major parcels of land at that time were the Clos des Monts-Luisants and Clos de la Roche. His nephew and godson, Hippolyte Ponsot, took over the domaine in 1920, and in 1932 started bottling his entire harvest at the domaine, a rarity for the time. Eventually the estate was passed down to Hippolyte's son Jean-Marie, and later to Jean-Marie's children, Laurent and Rose-Marie. Today, Rose-Marie Ponsot is the sole director of the company, seconded by Alexandre Abel. Unfettered by the latest fashions, Domaine Ponsot has always sought to express the richness of Burgundy terroir through natural cultivation practices. Human intervention is limited and only applied to the help that the vine needs. The family's long tradition of letting nature take the lead work that today the vineyards are in exceptional condition.
