2002 Domaine Ponsot Clos St. Denis Vieilles Vignes, 12-bottle Lot, Wood Case

Domaine Ponsot was founded in 1872 when William Ponsot returned from the Franco-Prussian war and bought an estate in Morey-Saint-Denis on the Cote de Nuit, in Burgundy. The Ponsots began bottling estate wine in 1934, much earlier than most Burgundy producers, and today the estate is still owned and operated by the Ponsot family. Laurent Ponsot has been in charge since 1983 and the estate now includes some 27 acres. Clive Coates has called it “one of the most individual domaines in Burgundy” because of late picking, the practice of retaining up to 25% stems, fermenting at high temperatures and using new oak, among other policies. The estate makes highly regarded premier cru and village wines. Of special note is a premier cru blanc made, in recent years, entirely of Aligote. Older vintages include 20 - 30% Chardonnay.

Clos St.-Denis is a 16-acre Grand Cru vineyard in the Morey St.-Denis appellation in Northern Burgundy. In fact the village of Morey St.-Denis gets part of its name from this vineyard. In 1927 the village voted to add St.-Denis to Morey. Like its neighboring Grand Cru vineyards, Clos St.-Denis is rocky, well-drained, and composed largely of limestone and pebbles. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that three of “the greatest Burgundies I have ever tasted” came from this vineyard. (They were produced by Dujac, Ponsot and Georges Lignier.) The largest landholders are Georges Lignier, with 3.7 acres; Dujac, with 3.68 acres; and Drouhin, with 1.8 acres.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.