Clos de la Roche VV, Domaine Ponsot 2015

The 2015 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes continues to show very well, and as it settles down in bottle, the tangy acids that underpin its ripe, sun-kissed fruit are becoming more apparent. Aromas of red berry compote, plums, blackberries, dark chocolate and peonies introduce a full-bodied, powerful wine with considerable mid-palate amplitude, structured around fine-grained tannins that are coming to the fore now that this Clos de la Roche it tightening up in bottle—though they remain largely cloaked in the wine's lavish core of fruit. It's an excellent wine, and I see no reason to alter my score or drinking window given earlier this year. 2025 - 2050

**Note: the aggregate size of this holding is a whopping 3.4 ha and Ponsot is easily the largest holder in Clos de la Roche**
An overtly floral-suffused nose, and in particular violet and lilac, adds a touch of elegance to the liqueur-like red cherry, plum and dark currant scents. The exceptionally rich and full-bodied flavors possess an outstanding level of dry extract that imparts a highly seductive texture to the mid-palate, indeed it's even caressing, yet the intensity and power really mount as this moves toward the almost painfully intense and explosive finale. Like its Clos St. Denis stable mate, this is superb and should effortlessly reward 20 years of cellaring and still be around 50 years from now.

The 2015 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes, which was fermented with 25% whole cluster this year, offers up a deep and complex nose of plums, roasted venison, black cherries, fruit preserve, pencil lead, dark chocolate, licorice and a subtle framing of new wood. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, supple and multidimensional, with a deep core of ripe fruit, rich tannins and an intense, sapid finish. This is a classic expression of Ponsot's singular, late-picked style, and it should make for decadent, dramatic drinking after a decade or so in the cellar.