2008 Chapelle Chambertin Grand Cru
By Ponsot
2008 Chapelle Chambertin Grand Cru from Ponsot, Burgundy, France
Grace meets power in the 2008 Chapelle Chambertin Grand Cru from Ponsot, an illustrious emblem of Burgundian finesse. My relationship with the wines of Ponsot spans decades, but it is vintage-specific nuances that capture my attention and intrigue my senses, as each year whispers its own story into the chalice.
A Vintage Singularity: Nature's Conversation Piece
The 2008 vintage in Burgundy was not without its challenges; a season marked by variable weather that put the vines and the vintners' skills to the test. However, such trials often lead to a spectacular triumph of terroir expression, and Ponsot's Chapelle Chambertin Grand Cru is the pinnacle of this phenomenon.
Elegance in Complexity: The Oenophile's Chronicle
Upon the encounter, the wine expresses a cornucopia of complex aromatics - dark cherries and ripe strawberries dance amidst forest floor and delicate spice. The precision of this Grand Cru shines through on the palate with impeccable structure. Tannins are resolute yet refined, guiding a wealth of fruit towards a lingering finish that bears testimony to skilled cellar-mastery.
The cooler conditions of 2008 lent a heightened acidity to Burgundy’s reds, contributing significantly to their longevity; indeed, one finds here in Ponsot's offering an ageing potential that beckons the investor with promises of blossoming maturity and amplified complexity over time. A compelling investment piece, this wine embodies the quintessential virtues that collectors seek within Burgundy's mosaic of vintages.
Fused by time and nurtured by the venerable grounds of Chapelle Chambertin, this 2008 grandeur from Ponsot represents an intelligent addition to any portfolio. It is wine investment at its most articulate - where heritage meets opportunity at the peak of vinicultural expression.
Market price (USD)
$3,590.00
12x75cl
Highest score
95
POP score
196
Scores and tasting notes
The 2008 Chapelle-Chambertin totally saturates the palate with deep layers of fruit and an enveloping, intense personality. Today the aromatics are rather inward and hard to read, especially as the wine starts shutting down in the glass. The Chapelle is at the beginning of what looks to be a fascinating journey. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2028. This set of 2009s from Laurent Ponsot was among the finest I tasted. The wines are simply dazzling from top to bottom. Ponsot was among the last to harvest in 2009, essentially starting when most, if not all, of his colleagues already had the fruit in their cellars. The fruit was 100% destemmed and the wines were vinified in oak vats. The wines were then racked into barrel for the malos, where many of them stayed with no further rackings. There is no new oak at Ponsot. The barrels range from 5 to 50 years of age. The range now includes a head spinning eleven Grand Crus, which now total an astonishing 70% of the estate’s total production. Ordinarily I would suggest cellaring the top 2009s for a minimum of 15 years or so, but now that Ponsot is bottling all of his wines with synthetic plastic corks made in Italy it is hard to know exactly how the wines will develop. I tasted all of the 2009s from barrel, where they had been aging since finishing their malolactic fermentations. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; tel. (205) 980-8802
Antonio Galloni - The Wine Advocate, 1 May 2011