The Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes is Domaine Ponsot’s emblematic red Burgundy and one of the finest wines of the Côte de Nuits. The terroir largely explains why. The Clos de la Roche appellation was expanded in the 1950s to include a range of neighbouring sites (Les Fremières, Les Genevrières, Les Mochamps, Monts Luisants, etc.) surrounding the original vineyard. As you might expect, the original terroir (widely considered the finest part of the Clos de la Roche appellation) makes different wines from the surrounding sites now included in the AOC. Domaine Ponsot not only is the largest holder of Clos de la Roche, but they also own the vast majority (over 3 hectares) of the original 4.5-hectare Clos. The rest of Ponsot’s holdings are within the Monts Luisants lieu-dit (which has always been bottled and sold as Clos de la Roche as it has the same soil, though it sits higher on the slope). The grapes from Monts Luisants add freshness to the natural power from the original Clos. And their vines average almost 70 years of age.
To us, it is not only Ponsot’s grandest wine, but one of the greatest reds in Burgundy. Exactly how much of the quality relates to terroir and how much to vine age, plant material and farming quality is impossible to separate, but all these factors seamlessly unite to create a truly remarkable wine. The 2023 is, as Jasper Morris says below, “Gloriously balanced...” with deep, coiled power, waves of seductive fruit and fine powdery tannins. A superb release of this wine.