Clos de la Roche Grand Cru - 2016 - Laurent Ponsot

Pinot Noir from vineyards planted in the heart of the Grand Crus of Morey-Saint-Denis. Domaine Ponsot is the largest owner of vineyards in Clos de la Roche, with its 3.4 hectares of vines cultivated using sustainable agriculture. The Clos de la Roche comes from two vine parcels separated by a path, with marly soil and limestone scree to the west, and crinoidal limestone soil to the east. The grapes are harvested by hand in small crates, with sorting in the vineyard and in the cellar, maceration in open-topped conical vats, frequent punching of the cap, blending of free-run juice and press juice, and finally two years of maturation in barrels that have seen several wines. Neither fined nor filtered, and just a microdose of sulphur.
Rose-Marie Ponsot took over management of Domaine Ponsot in 2017, following the departure of her brother Laurent Ponsot. Faithful to her family’s tradition of excellence, she continues to lead the estate towards ever-greater heights, while never forgetting the true peasant savoir-faire and Burgundian authenticity that have always been hallmarks of estate. Today a standard-bearer for Morey-Saint-Denis, the estate has been the owner of some very beautiful vineyard parcels since its founding in 1872 by William Ponsot, notably the Clos des Mont-Luisants and the majestic Clos de la Roche. As the years went by, the "identity" of Ponsot’s wines only continued to improve and become more refined, with Hippolyte Ponsot acquiring three-quarters of the original Clos de la Roche vineyard in 1920, and from 1932 onwards choosing to bottle the entire harvest at the estate. This was very rare for the time – in fact, up to World War II only about ten Burgundy estates bottled their own wine. Today, Domaine Ponsot remains exclusively family owned, and has retained the visionary spirit of its beginnings while respecting its terroirs and vines in every respect.