Chambertin Grand Cru Ponsot (Domaine) 1991

Lot presentation

Chambertin Grand Cru Ponsot (Domaine) 1991

The wine

Chambertin, produced from vines planted on gentle slopes, is the grand seigneur of Burgundy wines and Napoleon's favourite. The soil contains limestone and is rich in ferruginous marls. Full-bodied, sappy, rich-flavoured yet supple, this wine develops a highly-complex aroma. Its bright, deep ruby-red colour is a delight to the eye. The fragrances are both powerful and distinguished. As a young wine, it evokes dark cherry, liquorice and truffle. After about fifteen years of maturing it develops notes of leather and candied fruit.


Established on the Côte d'Or since 1870, the Ponsot family comes from a long line of winemakers who have all contributed their savoir-faire to the Domain. In 1932 Hippolyte started to bottle the wine on the estate, and in 1934 he exported it to America. At the beginning of the sixties his son Jean-Marie was a pioneer in clonal selection in the Burgundy region. In 1972 his wife Jacqueline inherited several parcels from Gevrey-Chambertin and Chapelle-Chambertin. Today the estate is exclusively run by the family, and the different entities of the domain are owned by Jean-Marie and Jacqueline Ponsot's children who continue to produce wine completely uninfluenced by fashion. Sometimes certain wines only reveal their true potential after a long and difficult maturing. Hence the reason why the domain will never put a wine onto the market if it does not live up to its appellation and vintage. The domain harvests very late using traditional wine-making methods. No new wood or filtering methods are used, resulting in a rich and spectacular wine.

About the Producer Ponsot

In 1872, William Ponsot bought a domaine in Morey-Saint-Denis. Since then, several generations have followed and the vineyard has grown. Hippolyte began bottling at the domaine in 1932 and exporting to the United States in 1934. His son Jean-Marie was among the pioneers of clonal selection in Burgundy in the early 1960s. In 1972, his wife Jacqueline inherited several parcels of Gevrey-Chambertin and Chapelle-Chambertin. Today the heritage remains exclusively with the family, and the different parts of the domaine are held by Jean-Marie and Jacqueline Ponsot's children who continue to produce wines outside the fashionable phenomena. The domaine harvests very late, fully respecting traditional winemaking methods, without new wood or any filtration operation, resulting in spectacularly rich wines. In early 2017, Laurent Ponsot, who had run the domaine for many years, left the domaine (for personal reasons) and it is now his sister Rose-Marie Ponsot who has taken over.

Detailed characteristics