2006 Griotte Chambertin Grand Cru
By Ponsot
2006 Griotte Chambertin Grand Cru from Ponsot, Burgundy, France
In the tapestry of French viticulture, certain vintages stand out for their exceptional qualities. The 2006 Griotte Chambertin Grand Cru from the revered maison of Ponsot is one such work of art that merits attention from the finest wine collectors and connoisseurs.
A Vintage Marked by Elegance and Finesse
The year 2006 was graced with notably variable weather across Burgundy, which posed challenges yet culminated in wines with extraordinary ageing potential for those astute vintners who mastered the capricious nature of the season. The Ponsot estate, with its storied history and profound understanding of the Griotte Chambertin terroir, navigated this vintage with expertise, capturing the essence of their cherished parcel within the greater theatre of Burgundy.
Refined Complexity: A Triumph of Balance
Upon tasting, the 2006 vintage reveals a complexity that is both profound and delicate—a rarity amongst peers. Deploying an alluring bouquet of ripe cherries, wild strawberries, and a whisper of earthy undertones, it effortlessly weaves a narrative between fruit and forest floor. The palate continues this harmonious blend with notes of sweet spice. It is underscored by an elegant structure and fine tannins that persist with grace through a lingering finish.
This bottling demonstrates the virtues of careful cellaring; time has polished its edges without diminishing its vivacious spirit. Poised now in its plateau of maturity, it is a consummate choice for discerning investors seeking wines that stand at the intersection of opulence and refinement.
In summary, the 2006 Griotte Chambertin Grand Cru from Ponsot encapsulates a masterclass in winemaking agility amidst the challenges posed by nature. Its harmony is suited to both palatial indulgence and wise investment, promising further evolution for those patient enough to allow it to unfold in their cellars.
Current market price
$6,120.00
12x75cl
Highest score
93
POP score
283.08
Scores and tasting notes
From Ponsot's site worst-hit by hail and from some of his youngest vines, a 2006 Griotte-Chambertin betrays neither of these facts in the glass. Ripe plum and black raspberry mingle with wood smoke in the nose. This is especially bright and energetic on the palate, yet glycerin helps support the rich, sappy fruit impression and cream-over any tannin for one of those 2006 finishes that manage to be at once soothing and invigorating, and that exhibits the peculiar and somehow seemingly ferrous notes that signal this site. Like most of the wines in its collection, this really blossoms and takes on nuance as it takes on air. I suspect it will be worth following for at least a decade. Ponsot says that a sort of surface-scouring whirlwind effect – "something I have never seen before … but there is no other explanation" – was apparently created in the shallow bowl that is Griotte, because the hail did more damage to leaves around the fruit zone than to the photosynthetically primary canopy foliage. Picking chez Ponsot began predictably late – on September 27 – and lasted until October 5. As might have been expected, Laurent Ponsot acted rigorously in the vineyards in the immediate aftermath of hail and eventually on the sorting table (overseen, he notes, by an especially meticulous team of three young women) to insure that any effects were minimized. (For some notes on the often unorthodox methods Ponsot employs, readers should consult my report in issue 170.) Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802
David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate, 21 December 2009