This is a very serious traditional and historic family estate that places huge importance on terroir and respect for the soil and the natural order. Laurent Ponsot has gradually assumed control from his father, Jean-Marie over the past decade or so. Several decades of expertise and refinement can be seen in the wines. The Ponsots undertake to pick the grapes as late as possible from vines with an average age of 40 years, though some individual parcels are as much as twice that age. Yields are very low, and naturally so without any green harvesting, which is abhorred. The Ponsots do not have a high tolerance for new oak or sulphur either and their use is kept to a minimum. No two wines are quite alike but there is a strength underpinning the truly marvellous expression and fine, silky textures that can be spellbinding. Though a charge of inconsistency has often been levelled at the domaine’s wines, there seems little evidence of this in recent vintages. The Morey-Saint-Denis white, made mostly from Aligoté in recent vintages, is very full and ripe but structured too, not remotely like most Aligoté. A very small amount of Chambertin is also made. Village Gevrey and Morey can be superb value. In 2009 the family acquired parcels of vines to produce wines from Saint Romain, Corton-Charlemagne, Corton and Chambertin Clos de Bèze.
