2017 Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes
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Tasting notes
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.
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Average Score
Neal Martin
Neal Martin
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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.
The 2017 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru comes from two climats (2.8 hectares in Clos de la Roche and 0.70 hectares at the bottom of Montluisants) that are each fermented and aged separately. My sample is a blend of the two. It was picked on September 19–20. Like some of Ponsot’s other cuvées, it has a high-toned bouquet of cassis and violets, developing a hint of licorice with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and more tension than the other Grand Crus from the _ domaine_. A sprinkle of white pepper and sage appears toward the finish. This should age well, though I would like more backbone and grip on the finish.
About the producer
Domaine Ponsot is one of the most well-known estates in the Côte de Nuits, famed for owning three of the original four hectares of the Clos de la Roche Grand Cru. The legendary domaine also produces another nine Grand Cru cuvées.