2012 Domaine Ponsot Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes 1er Cru
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Tasting notes
This is slightly riper with its black cherry liqueur-like aromas that are nuanced by hints of spice, sandalwood and anise. Here too there is a lovely sense of underlying tension and detail to the medium weight flavors that also evidence a subtle minerality on the notably longer and more complex finish. This is a relatively powerful vintage for this wine and I particularly like the sense of harmony and balance. *Outstanding*
Critic scores
Average Score
The Wine Advocate
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Very deep crimson. One of a mere two premiers crus they have! Sweet and voluptuous with some green freshness underneath. Most vibrant and attractive. Lots of juice and apeal. Very salivatory. Even if the finish is a tad sudden at present. (JR)
The 2012 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru les Charmes has a lovely, well-defined, vibrant bouquet with brambly black and red fruit – blackcurrant pastilles emerging with aeration in the glass. The palate is firm in the mouth with good backbone. Plenty of clean and pure black fruit with dash of black pepper sprinkled lightly on the masculine but long finish. Fine. Laurent Ponsot, when he is not the Lone Ranger fighting alleged fraud, is busy making wine in his own individual way from his winery perched on the higher reaches overlooking Morey village. As ever, he is refreshingly candid in his views, passionate about the tenets he applies to winemaking, but always counterbalanced with tongue-in-cheek humor. I concentrated on the premier and grand cru 2012s since he was just about to bottle his village crus after one year and they were not ready. He told me that he commenced picking on 3 October, several days later than most winemakers, a date that he assured me he knew as far back as June due to natural indicators, whatever they may be. Yields averaged around 19 hectoliters per hectare, lower for the grand crus, while his famous Aligote from Monts Luisants was wiped out by oidium not from the vines, but from the nearby forest that pricked the flavor of the wine. (I did mischievously quip that I knew of someone in the United States who might be able to rustle some up if so desired – I could not help myself). What I like about Laurent’s wines is that they are edgy, uncompromising, occasionally “Marmite” wines that perhaps like the man himself, goes out to divide opinion and create debate. His strict use of old barrels combined with a dizzying array of grand crus combine to create distinct wines that tend to wear their heart of their sleeves. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802, Atherton Wine Imports (CA) and through Geodhuis & Co in the UK.
The 2012 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru les Charmes has a lovely, well-defined, vibrant bouquet with brambly black and red fruit – blackcurrant pastilles emerging with aeration in the glass. The palate is firm in the mouth with good backbone. Plenty of clean and pure black fruit with dash of black pepper sprinkled lightly on the masculine but long finish. Fine. 89-91 Points
About the producer
Domaine Ponsot is one of the most well-known estates in the Côte de Nuits, famed for owning three of the original four hectares of the Clos de la Roche Grand Cru. The legendary domaine also produces another nine Grand Cru cuvées.