Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Decanter
Generally regarded as Burgundy's best Aligoté, this comes from a 1ha holding within Ponsot's monopole premier cru. Taut, focussed and very mineral with a marked influence from the Combe Grisard, this has flavours of green apple, pear and fresh pastry, with a waxy, textured, lightly wooded finish.
-
Jasper Morris
(Tasted separately from the 150th anniversary). Fine pale colour. The 2017 has a beautifully balanced bouquet. Spring flowers, white fruit, a little touch of lime without the salt, intriguingly integrated, balanced and very persistent. The 2017 Clos des Monts Luisants has really kicked on since I first tasted it in the Ponsot cellars. 12.5% alcohol.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos des Monts Luisants Blanc bursts from the glass with aromas of crisp green orchard fruit, waxy citrus rind, orange oil and warm pastry. Medium to full-bodied, fine-boned and elegant, it's chalky and incisive, with fine concentration and cut, concluding with a precise, mineral finish.
A native but unique white grape to Burgundy, Aligoté is a light bodied white that often ends up unfairly lost in Chardonnay’s shadow. In Côte Chalonnaise, in a quaint village named Bouzeron, just south of the Côte de Beaune, Aligoté has its very own appellation where yields are limited in order to enhance flavors, acidity and overall quality. Somm Secret—Curiously, the famous producer, Domaine Ponsot, bottles a 100% Aligoté from its Premier Cru in Morey-Ste-Denis, Les Monts Luisants, made from Aligoté vines planted in 1911.
While Morey-St-Denis of Burgundy might not get the same attention as its neighbors, Gevrey-Chambertin to the north and Chambolle-Musigny to the south, there is no reason why it shouldn’t. The same line of limestone runs from the Combe de Lavaux in Gevrey—all the way through Morey—ending in Chambolle.
There are four grand cru vineyards, moving southwards from the border with Gevrey-Chambertin: Clos de la Roche, Clos St-Denis, Clos des Lambrays, Clos de Tart and a small segment of Bonnes-Mares overlapping from Chambolle. Clos de la Roche is probably the finest vineyard, giving wines of true depth, body, and sturdiness for the long haul than most other vineyards.
Pinot Noir from Morey-St-Denis is known for its deep red cherry, blackcurrant and blueberry fruit. Aromas of spice, licorice and purple flowers are present in the wines’ youth, evolving to forest and game as the wine ages.