Morey Saint Denis Monts Luisants Blanc, Domaine Ponsot 2016

(I tasted this wine from barrel but it was slated to be racked into tank just hours after my visit; 100% Aligoté): Knockout vibrant nose combines peach, crushed stone and spices, plus subtle nuances of mint, licorice, honey and flowers. Combines lovely richness with an impression of energy, displaying terrific spicy depth and saline soil tones. Finishes slatey and very long. Amazing Aligoté, from a normal yield of about 42 hectoliters per hectare. Beginning with the 2015 vintage, the estate has introduced some younger vines to the mix, so the blend now averages "just" 80 years of age and the label will say Vieilles Vignes rather than Très Vieilles Vignes. This east-facing vineyard avoids the afternoon sun, which allows the fruit to maintain freshness, noted Rose-Marie Ponsot, who added that the last vintage of this wine to contain any Chardonnay was 2004. And of course, the Pinot Blanc from Domaine Gouges that was planted here in the early 1950s is no longer in the wine.

A brooding and decidedly timid nose only grudgingly reveals its aromas of soft spice, petrol, matchstick and white-fleshed fruit. The agreeably textured and vibrant middle weight flavors possess evident minerality as well as excellent detail on the sleek and bone dry finish that is shaped by citrus-tinged acidity. This is not particularly complex though I have found over the years that the impressive depth this wine can deliver often develops only after 5 to 8 years of bottle age.