2005 Domaine Ponsot, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Cuvee Vieilles Vignes 12x75cl

Neal Martin NR

The 2005 Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes was served blind, something that I must emphasize because as I tried to figure out the wine, I concluded it must be a Grenache "ringer" amongst the Pinot Noirs. The bottle had been allowed to decant and yet, although it conveyed a sense of corpulent attractiveness, even when its identity was revealed, it tasted nothing like a Burgundy, let alone a Clos de la Roche. Like other, I was deeply impressed by its showing way back in barrel and others vouchsafe its quality. However, I can only report what I found under blind conditions and leave a question mark instead of a score. Tasted at 67 Pall Mall Burgundy dinner. [Neal Martin, 07/05/2019]

Vinous NR

There’s a story behind these samples and I’ll try to keep it short. Laurent Ponsot refused to show me his 2005s at the domain in November, saying they had been bottled recently and that they were sure to be ugly for at least a few months. He promised to send samples to me in early December via his U.S. importer and asked me to let them rest until late February, or just before presstime. Well, the samples did not arrive Stateside until early February and, since Ponsot had forgotten to mark "samples" on my box, they were impounded by U.S. Customs in Miami. It took the importer another week or two to pry them loose and I only received my box in mid-month. After all that, it turned out there were just two samples of red wine. Given all the trouble in getting these bottles, I figured the odds were high that at least one would be corked. And thus I wasn’t shocked at an initial mustiness on the nose of this wine. My note will take you through my experience, practically in real-time. Full red. Penetrating, slightly musty nose hints at dried flowers, pepper, minerals and fresh herbs, with a hint of raspberry; either slightly corked or marred by a hint of old barrel. The palate offers superb energy, precision and cut, but much less obvious ripeness and weight than the Chapelle. In fact, this soil-driven wine is all about flowers, spices, herbs and lift. After 24 hours: Deeper, bright red. A hint of mocha where the mustiness had been, along with musky strawberry, rose petal, smoke and cinnamon spice. Silky-sweet but with superb harmonious acidity giving great penetration to the brisk flavors of red berries, blood orange and spices. Much more red fruits and spices with the extended aeration. This endlessly fascinating wine, which is extraordinary in its energy and intensity but is by no means a powerhouse, transcends the vintage and the variety and is utterly transparent to the site. If my cork was not perfect, then the juice in the bottle is probably a 98-pointer; but if my bottle was sealed with a perfectly sound cork, then an otherwise extraordinary wine will wear a whiff of faulty cooperage through its life like a scarlet "O." I remain optimistic. [Stephen Tanzer, 03/01/2008]