Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru 2019

Ponsot's 2019 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes was picked in multiple passages, beginning with earlier-ripening massale selections on September 17, followed by the rest of the domaine's holdings on September 22–23. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet raspberries and plums mingled with licorice, peony and cinnamon, it's full-bodied, fleshy and seamless, with a rich core of fruit, lively acids and a long, saline finish. This is aging gracefully and underlines the additional precision Alex Abel has brought to Ponsot's winemaking in recent years.

There is a lovely deep colour here (as with many of the 2019s) and marvellous aromas of ripe cassis. The purity of fruit is impressive – chief winemaker Alexandre Abel relates that, despite the heat, there were no shrivelled grapes or sunburn. The texture is silky and fine, but there is also remarkable power and length. Don't be fooled by the apparent approachability here – this is a wine built to age for decades. Picked in several passes on the 22nd and 23rd of September and bottled in July 2021.