2019 Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes
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Tasting notes
The 2019 Clos de la Roche Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru (picked from 17 September) is 100% de-stemmed and was racked in May and then bottled in July 2021. It has a very perfumed bouquet of cranberry and boysenberry. It's slightly confit in style, with just a splash of balsamic in the background. The palate is medium-bodied and taut on the entry, with slightly grainy tannins and a subtle balsamic vein that keeps it on its toes. A light touch of black pepper emerges after five minutes. Not enormous depth on the finish or grip, yet considering the growing season, there is appreciable crunchiness and bite. Tasted at Ponsot's 150th anniversary vertical at the Domaine.
Critic scores
Average Score
The Wine Advocate
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Ponsot's 2019 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes was picked in multiple passages, beginning with earlier-ripening massale selections on September 17, followed by the rest of the domaine's holdings on September 22–23. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet raspberries and plums mingled with licorice, peony and cinnamon, it's full-bodied, fleshy and seamless, with a rich core of fruit, lively acids and a long, saline finish. This is aging gracefully and underlines the additional precision Alex Abel has brought to Ponsot's winemaking in recent years.
5 star wine<br /> The average age of the vines is 65. On the darker side of imperial purple and then, what a magisterial nose, clearly ahead of anything else in the cellar! Clos de la Roche ripened early this year, so for once was picked earlier in the piece. Not too late fortunately, but the level of ripeness in terms of fruit profile can certainly be seen. We are in the presence of a grand wine for sure, with perfectly balanced acidity to carry it through and exceptional persistence. Tasted: November 2020.<br />
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.