2004 Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru

Laurent Ponsot has had two consecutive outstanding vintages, and his top 2005s promise to be Burgundy legends. Ponsot upgraded his physical plant by constructing a four-level winery in time for the 2001 vintage. He picked late in 2005, starting on September 27 and bringing in fruit with potential alcohol mostly between 13% and 14.5% (the Clos de la Roche reached 15%). Ponsot always destems and crushes the grapes, but he noted that the smallest grapes go into the fermenter intact. There was no cold soak ("we let nature take its course"), and Ponsot told me he did "plenty of pigeages" in 2005 (two or three per day is normal practice here). And yet the wines do not seem at all overextracted, especially those from very low-yielding old vines-particularly Clos de la Roche and Clos Saint-Denis-which boast extraordinary concentration and breadth. Ponsot continues to age his wines in barrels "from 5 to 50 years old." (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)