2008 Domaine Ponsot Chapelle-Chambertin

Domaine Ponsot was founded in 1872 when William Ponsot returned from the Franco-Prussian war and bought an estate in Morey-Saint-Denis on the Cote de Nuit, in Burgundy. The Ponsots began bottling estate wine in 1934, much earlier than most Burgundy producers, and today the estate is still owned and operated by the Ponsot family. Laurent Ponsot has been in charge since 1983 and the estate now includes some 27 acres. Clive Coates has called it “one of the most individual domaines in Burgundy” because of late picking, the practice of retaining up to 25% stems, fermenting at high temperatures and using new oak, among other policies. The estate makes highly regarded premier cru and village wines. Of special note is a premier cru blanc made, in recent years, entirely of Aligote. Older vintages include 20 - 30% Chardonnay.

Chapelle-Chambertin is a 13.5-acre Grand Cru vineyard just north of Griotte-Chambertin in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin. Its name comes from the chapel of Notre Dame de Beze, a chapel built in 1155 by the monks of Abbey de Beze and demolished several centuries later during the French Revolution. There is not much slope in this vineyard, nor much soil. Louis Jadot and Claude Dugat have small parcels here, though the largest landholders are Pierre Damoy, 5 acres; Ponsot 1.7 acres; and Jean and Jean-Louis Trapet, 1.5 acres.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.