"A 'wow' wine"
- Lowest Price in the Nation
2011 Ponsot Clos de la Roche
The magnum opus of Ponsot
Ponsot's Clos de la Roche isn't just one of the greatest wines of Morey-St.-Denis. It is one of the Great Wines of Burgundy, and arguably, of the world.
Let me be up-front. I wouldn't offer out bottles in this price range if I couldn't stand firmly behind Ponsot's 2011 Clos de la Roche being entirely "worth it" - and I wholeheartedly do.
Because when it comes down to it, we can't not offer out a wine that stands among the benchmark wines of the world.
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| Lauren Ponsot in the press room of the estate |
Ponsot has always been great, but since 2005, his wines have been absolutely epic. Every single vintage has soared off the charts in terms of quality. In 2011 especially, a vintage remarkable for transparency of terroir, this Grand Cru's powers of seduction are truly stunning.
Clos de la Roche is a wine of majesty, overwhelming in its wild animal power but still shudderingly refined. Ponsot's is muscular, yet elegant; endlessly profound and yet beautifully severe. And in 2011, it is a wine that left the Burghound practically speechless: "A 'wow' wine."
Laurent Ponsot is one of the most singular, compelling minds in all of Burgundy, and his wines reflect that. A bit of an iconoclast, he has his own (very meticulous) way of doing things: Often the last in the region to harvest, he practices minimal sulphuring and racking, no fining, very late bottling. Creative genius, let's call it, and Clos de la Roche is his magnum opus.
Meadows is right to say that "Ponsot has clearly outperformed the vintage in 2011." The 2011s are classic Ponsot opulence. As always, selection was exacting and Ponsot only began harvesting when most other producers had finished. The result is beyond impressive, displaying the intense concentration of the vintage, with rigorous, creamy complexity.
Ponsot's Clos de la Roche is known for being a long-distance runner: This wine will age gloriously for 30 years or more.
While most '85s are fading, a 1985 Clos de la Roche I tasted recently was the stuff to inspire legends. The great vintages of the nineties - '90, '91, '99 - still have years ahead of them.
Clos de la Roche is far and away the flagship of Ponsot. To put how special this wine is in perspective: Ponsot is the largest holder of Clos de la Roche by far, with a whopping 3.4 hectares, and still there are only three other retailers offering it in the entire country. This is an ultimate collector's gem, and these wines will disappear.
These bottles are expensive, yes. But it stands to be repeated: Clos de la Roche is a benchmark wine. Ponsot is a benchmark producer.
And this is not just Burgundy we're talking about; these are benchmark on a global scale.
To order, reply to offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
Burghound: "A discreet application of wood does not reduce the considerable appeal of the ripe, pure and airy nose with its broad mélange of wild red berry fruit liqueur, earth, spice, violets and a hint of animale. The broad-shouldered flavors possess superb mid-palate concentration that enrobes the buried but still quite firm tannins while culminating in a beautifully balanced, muscular and explosively long finish. This is also very clearly built to age yet like the Clos St. Denis, there is so much sap that this could be drunk now with pleasure. A 'wow' wine."