Laurent Ponsot – Great Value Gevrey-Chambertin
Good Morning,
Since it was the 3rd Australian La Paulee event in Melbourne last night – I thought it suitable to discuss a favorite Burgundian producer of mine.
I think that Laurent Ponsot’s post-Domaine wines have become some of the most compelling expressions in contemporary Burgundy. As a micro-négociant, he partners with trusted growers to vinify under his own exacting standards.
The 2021 Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée de l’Aulne is a standout from his current portfolio. Sourced primarily from lieu-dit Les Epointures, with additional contributions from adjacent plots on clay-limestone soils, this cuvée is an articulate expression of Gevrey in a cooler, classically styled vintage.
Technical Notes:
Appellation: Gevrey-Chambertin AOC
Vine Age: Average 25–30 years
Vinification: 100% destemmed, natural fermentation, minimal sulphur use
Élevage: 12 months in used oak (no new barrels), bottled without fining or filtration
Production: Approx. 3,000 bottles
Alcohol: 13.0% ABV
Tasting Note:
The 2021 Cuvée de l’Aulne opens with lifted aromas of wild cherry, crushed raspberry, sous-bois, and faint violet. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied with vibrant acidity, fine-grained tannins, and a mineral edge that carries through a persistent, sapid finish. An elegant and quietly powerful Gevrey, already expressive but built for the mid-term.
Critic Score:
91–93 pts – Jasper Morris MW
“A classic Gevrey profile with clarity and finesse. The fruit is precise, the structure refined, and there’s an attractive coolness in the finish. This is very well made and promises excellent development.”
Why This Matters:
Laurent Ponsot’s intimate understanding of Burgundian terroir and deep relationships across the Côte de Nuits allow him to source outstanding fruit and vinify it without compromise. This wine reflects not only the cool precision of the 2021 vintage but also Ponsot’s hallmark clarity and tension—without the price tag of Grand Cru.
Laurent Ponsot’s wines differ notably from those of Domaine Ponsot in both philosophy and execution. While Domaine Ponsot remains rooted in estate-grown fruit and long-established vineyard holdings—often favoring whole-cluster fermentation and extended élevage—Laurent Ponsot, since launching his eponymous label in 2017, has embraced a micro-négociant model. This allows him to select parcels from trusted growers across the Côte d’Or, apply 100% destemming, and vinify with a focus on precision, purity, and minimal intervention. The result is a more transparent, finely etched style, often with earlier approachability and a touch more linearity, compared to the broader, more muscular expression typical of Domaine Ponsot.
We have 10 cases (6x75cl) of the 2021 vintage available.
Click here to reserve your case(s)
If you are interested in other Laurent Ponsot wines please click here to see our full collection.
Warmly,
Guy
