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The 2005 vintage is a monumental wine with an impressive, tannic structure. The nose is slightly closed, even at 15 years of age, and Rossignol likens it to ’a block of granite – often polished, but still massive’. Continue to hold if you can wait – patience will have its reward. The Rossignol side of the family owns an impressive 1.6ha of Chambertin in two large parcels. This site was among the first that brothers Nicolas and David converted to biodynamics in the 1990s, and their efforts are paying off.Decanter Magazine | 97 DECThe 2005 Chambertin was raised in fifty percent new oak this year, and the wine’s depth and intensity have no difficulty in completely devouring the wood. The very pure and primary bouquet is deep and profound, as it offers up notes of blood orange, red plum, black cherry, graphite, coffee bean, raw cocoa and a great base of soil. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, young and ripely tannic, with a great core of fruit, bright acids, stunning intensity, and plenty of ripe, fine-grained tannins on the long, aristocratic finish. Just a brilliant bottle of Chambertin in the making. (Drink between 2020 - 2070)John Gilman | 95 JGThis is the most backward wine in the group with ripe and densely fruited but cool aromas of game, smoke, spice, underbrush and somber red and dark berry fruit aromas dissolving into powerful, serious and brooding flavors that completely drench the palate in sap on the stunningly long finish. This is built for the long haul and I doubt that it will exit from this taciturn stage for some years to come. Classic old style Cham that is presently a block of stone so be prepared to wait.Burghound | 94 BHGood deep red. Wild red fruits, musky game, roast coffee, black licorice and a peppery nuance on the highly complex, soil-inflected nose. Dense, fresh and concentrated; sappy and juicy for all its power. There’s a captivating chewiness to the spicy red fruit and mineral flavors. Very slow to unfold on the back end, finishing with substantial dusty tannins and lovely lingering perfume. The family’s holding is in the middle of Chambertin, stretching from the bottom to the top of this grand cru. As this is Chambertin and not Clos de Beze, the style is more massive and profound, notes David. My score may turn out to be conservative.Vinous Media | 93+ VM

A gorgeously scented nose offers up layered aromas of spice, earth, tea, sandalwood, wild flowers and black currant. There is an unusually refined mouth feel to the focused, intense and sleekly muscular flavors that possess equally good depth while delivering flat out superb length on the impeccably well-balanced finale. This is still very much on the way up but it is so harmonious and pretty that it could be enjoyed for its nose alone. That said, this is a very serious effort that should peak in the range of 7 to 10 years from now and then be capable of holding for 3 to 4 decades thereafter. In a word, wonderful.Burghound | 96 BHDeep red-ruby. Powerful, bracing, medicinal aromas of blueberry, blackberry pastille, mocha, licorice and mint. Almost shockingly precise and penetrating but painfully tight today. This is broad and large-scaled yet the overwhelming impression is of juicy cut and sharp focus. An utterly palate-staining, austere young wine that should be great well into its third decade of life in bottle.Vinous Media | 95+ VMThere is a bit more Bonnes-Mares in the cellars this year, as the domaine has purchased just under 15 ares more of the vineyard as a result of the Thomas-Moillard purchase. Happily, this section of vines is planted primarily on terres blanches soils, so that now about one-third of the cuvée hails from terres blanches. Previously all of the Dujac Bonnes-Mares was planted on terres rouges soils, and the new blend represents a step up from the already stellar level of Bonnes-Mares that the domaine produced. The bouquet on the 2005 is brilliant, youthfully reserved and very, very deep, as it offers up a mélange of red and black cherries, bitter chocolate, herbs, game, a huge base of soil, a touch of new oak and a pungent, floral topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and laser-like in its focus, with a rock solid core of fruit, flawless balance, snappy acidity, ripe, substantial tannins, and an endless and utterly pure finish. Just superb. (Drink between 2017 - 2050)John Gilman | 95 JGDujac’s 2005 Bonnes Mares smells of black raspberry, wood smoke, sage and horehound. Intense, tart but ripe black raspberry fills the mouth with vivid juiciness, backed by persistently pungent herbal concentrates, bitter chocolate, and saline minerality. Abundant but refined tannins allied to energetic fruit of untamed intensity combine in a long finish and seem to assure that this is another Dujac cru with superb aging potential.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP

(Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles-Vignes Grand Cru Red) All the superb and dramatic complexity that this displayed from barrel has made it into bottle as an extremely ripe and fantastically broad nose soars from the glass, merging seamlessly into dense, pure rich and powerful flavors that are opulent, sweet and dripping with so much extract and sap that the combination stains and saturates the palate on the hugely proportioned yet impeccably balanced finish that is so long that it doesn't seem possible. Given how many reference standard vintages Domaine Ponsot has produced of the Clos de la Roche over the years, it would be presumptuous to anoint this as the best ever but if it isn't, it will certainly take its rightful place among the very greatest. In sum, a 'wow' wine that makes you shake your head in sheer amazement. However be aware that this is a buy and forget wine as it will require at least 15 years to shed its considerable tannins and it will see 50 years without difficulty. (Drink starting 2020)Burghound | 99 BHThe estate’s flagship 2005 Clos de la Roche Cuvee Vieilles Vignes surges from the glass in an aromatic tidal wave of liqueur-like black raspberry essence, cinnamon spice, praline, chocolate and heady floral sweetness. Incontrovertibly fat and full, not about clarity or discretion but rather about thick, sumptuous layers of flavor that blanket the palate, this will not be every taster’s idea of a great Burgundy – or perhaps even a good time. Still, there is lift, bright juiciness and a sense of emerging elegance in a finish where sheer intensity and unabashed richness rule but neither the fruit nor tannins are the least bit coarse, and stony, chalky underpinnings break the surface with their own sort of austere beauty. (Thankfully, there is roughly ten times the amount of this wine as of Clos St.-Denis.)Laurent Ponsot (like his father) vinifies to the beat of a different drummer, whether it is in his employment of a basket press from 1945, his reliance on exclusively (truly) old barrels, his aggressive pigeage, or his virtual refusal (since 1988) to sulfur the wines (nitrogen and CO2 are administered at bottling). The results are as distinctive as the methods, but also profoundly impressive and proven to age magnificently. Certainly one has to adjust to a background level of chocolate and that lack of a certain “pep” that is otherwise conveyed, MSG-wise, to wines given a normal quota of sulfur during their elevage. But after a few samples – and especially when I re-tasted these wines “cold” at 7:00 A.M. – I was fully attuned to their virtues. The alcohols in 2005 are as high as 15%, but you do not notice it, even when told. Asked when he intends to bottle, Ponsot replies “I don’t know. Maybe one or two in the Spring, maybe before the harvest, maybe afterward.”Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RP(Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche “Vieilles Vignes”) The 2005 Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes looks like a second coming of the 1980 vintage of this wine, as it seems quite certain to mirror that former wine’s syrupy opulence and bottomless depth. Laurent feels that this will ultimately be proven to be the wine of the vintage. The bouquet now is very, very deep, very, very powerful and quite primary, as it offers up notes of red plums, black cherries, blood orange, vinesmoke, mustard seed, gamebirds, earth and espresso. On the palate the wine is monumentally scaled, with wave after wave of fruit on the attack, substantial, but very ripe tannins, and great length and grip on the remarkably soil-driven finish, given the onslaught of fruit on the attack. Larger than life. (Drink between 2017-2060)John Gilman | 95 JG(racked three days before my visit) Full ruby-red. Knockout nose melds black cherry, violet, licorice and brown spices; this is wild yet aristocratic in a Chambertin way. Densely packed, silky and incredibly intense, with palate-saturating flavors of black cherry, spices, minerals and bitter chocolate. As remarkably rich as this is (it's carrying 15% alcohol, according to Ponsot), there's no impression of undue weight. This is old-vines Clos de la Roche in all its savage splendor. Endless finish. Should make a cellar treasure.Vinous Media | 95-99 VM

All the superb and dramatic complexity that this displayed from barrel has made it into bottle as an extremely ripe and fantastically broad nose soars from the glass, merging seamlessly into dense, pure rich and powerful flavors that are opulent, sweet and dripping with so much extract and sap that the combination stains and saturates the palate on the hugely proportioned yet impeccably balanced finish that is so long that it doesn’t seem possible. Given how many reference standard vintages Domaine Ponsot has produced of the Clos de la Roche over the years, it would be presumptuous to anoint this as the best ever but if it isn’t, it will certainly take its rightful place among the very greatest. In sum, a ’wow’ wine that makes you shake your head in sheer amazement. However be aware that this is a buy and forget wine as it will require at least 15 years to shed its considerable tannins and it will see 50 years without difficulty.Burghound | 99 BH(racked three days before my visit) Full ruby-red. Knockout nose melds black cherry, violet, licorice and brown spices; this is wild yet aristocratic in a Chambertin way. Densely packed, silky and incredibly intense, with palate-saturating flavors of black cherry, spices, minerals and bitter chocolate. As remarkably rich as this is (it’s carrying 15% alcohol, according to Ponsot), there’s no impression of undue weight. This is old-vines Clos de la Roche in all its savage splendor. Endless finish. Should make a cellar treasure.Vinous Media | 95-99 VMThe estate’s flagship 2005 Clos de la Roche Cuvee Vieilles Vignes surges from the glass in an aromatic tidal wave of liqueur-like black raspberry essence, cinnamon spice, praline, chocolate and heady floral sweetness. Incontrovertibly fat and full, not about clarity or discretion but rather about thick, sumptuous layers of flavor that blanket the palate, this will not be every taster’s idea of a great Burgundy – or perhaps even a good time. Still, there is lift, bright juiciness and a sense of emerging elegance in a finish where sheer intensity and unabashed richness rule but neither the fruit nor tannins are the least bit coarse, and stony, chalky underpinnings break the surface with their own sort of austere beauty. (Thankfully, there is roughly ten times the amount of this wine as of Clos St.-Denis.)Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-98 RP(Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche “Vieilles Vignes”) The 2005 Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes looks like a second coming of the 1980 vintage of this wine, as it seems quite certain to mirror that former wine’s syrupy opulence and bottomless depth. Laurent feels that this will ultimately be proven to be the wine of the vintage. The bouquet now is very, very deep, very, very powerful and quite primary, as it offers up notes of red plums, black cherries, blood orange, vinesmoke, mustard seed, gamebirds, earth and espresso. On the palate the wine is monumentally scaled, with wave after wave of fruit on the attack, substantial, but very ripe tannins, and great length and grip on the remarkably soil-driven finish, given the onslaught of fruit on the attack. Larger than life. (Drink between 2017-2060)John Gilman | 95 JG

As fine as the Griotte and Charmes are in 2007, the Chapelle takes the quality up to the next level in this vintage, as it combines the precision and nascent complexity of the Charmes and the deeper and sappier profile of the Griotte. The bouquet is outstanding, as the wine jumps from the glass in a blaze of black cherries, cocoa, game, blood orange, and black soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very sappy at the core, with great focus and balance, fine-grained tannins, tangy acids and outstanding length and grip on the complex and classy finish. A great bottle of Chapelle. (Drink between 2014 - 2040)John Gilman | 94 JGLicorice, game, and sweetly-ripe dark berries inform a broad-shouldered Ponsot 2007 Chapelle-Chambertin that is both less refined and less striking than the corresponding Griotte, but hugely convincing in its expansive and energetic way: palpably dense and finely-tannic, finishing with wave-like dynamic and intensity of sappy berry juices, bitter-sweet herbal essences, and meat stock. Yet another Ponsot 2007 remarkable for its vintage, this should reward 15-20 years of cellaring.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPSeems marked by oak, yet with substance underneath. Cedar and sandalwood aromas are backed by cherry, currant, anise and mineral flavors, but overall this is sweet, intense and saturated on the finish. Best from 2012 through 2025. 40 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA ripe liqueur-like nose featuring red and blue berry fruit that has violet and rose fragrances around the edges that precede rich, full, sappy and well-muscled big-bodied flavors that are seductive, minerally and textured and culminate in a punchy, energetic and driving finish. I like the underlying sense of tension here and while the big tannins are less sophisticated than those of the Griotte, there is perhaps a bit more overall depth here, at least at present.Burghound | 92 BH

Fairly deep red. Intense raspberry nose, pure and lifted, supported by elegant oak. Rich and juicy, full of upfront fruit backed by fine-grained tannins. There’s grip on the finish that bodes well for the future, yet no excessive extraction, and it’s balanced and long.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECAn overtly spicy and floral nose combines notes of various red berries with those of earth and soft wood. In contrast to the laser beam definition of a number of the prior wines here the palate feel is lush and round though there is still reasonably good detail on the powerful and intense finish where a touch of austerity serves to buffer the natural sweetness. Note that this is quite firmly structured and once again I would strongly advise against buying this unless you have the patience to store it for at least a decade.Burghound | 95 BHBright medium red. Pungent lift to the aromas of pomegranate, cranberry and flowers. Fine-grained but tightly wound, even a bit imploded today, conveying a powerful impression of energy and lift. Not an especially fleshy wine but wonderfully precise and complete, with an extremely long finish that shows more saline minerality than primary red fruits. This youthfully taut wine is going to require extended aging.Vinous Media | 94+ VMTasted blind at the Burgfest 2014 tasting, the 2014 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru has a very perfumed bouquet with incense and rose petal scents filtering through the black plum and cranberry fruit. The oak here is well integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, touches of black olive and Japanese seaweed, leading to a structured finish with good weight, albeit one that needs time. This is a classy close-up de Bèze from Bruno Clair. Tasted September 2017.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPMedium deep colour, a little bit sombre both in tint and on the nose. Perhaps some evolution. Or a trace of something not quite clean. Either way the fruit needs to be fresher. The concentration is there though. Modest score today but perhaps not the best sample? Others much preferred this. Tasted Sep 2017.Jasper Morris | 92 JM

There was a bit of hail damage in the Clos de la Roche this year for Monsieur Lignier (an isolated storm around the tenth of July), so between ten and fifteen percent of the crop was lost. This is too bad, as the 2014 Lignier Clos de la Roche is a stunning young wine! The bouquet is stellar, offering up scents of red and black cherries, plums, venison, cocoa, a very complex base of soil, mustard seed, woodsmoke and a gentle framing of cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite primary, with a great core of ripe fruit, superb soil inflection, ripe, seamless tannins and stunning length and grip on the energetic and perfectly balanced finish. A great, great wine. (Drink between 2026 - 2075)John Gilman | 96+ JGThe 2014 Clos de la Roche is bright, focused and finely cut. Translucent and wiry in style, the 2014 speaks to precision above all else. The flavors and textures are wonderfully chiseled throughout. Red-toned fruits, chalk and floral notes abound. Today, the 2014 is fabulous. It won’t be ready to drink anytime soon, but it is terrific just the same. This is a textbook expression of Clos de la Roche.Vinous Media | 95 VMThe 2014 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru has a very refined bouquet that takes time to open, but it is worth the wait: blackberry, dried blood, limestone and a faint marine influence (perhaps oyster shell) -- all wonderfully delineated and controlled. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite compact and dense at the moment, as well as very linear and precise; it is long in the mouth but not wishing to play around at the moment. Perhaps keeping its exuberance for later? This is an enigmatic Clos de la Roche this year from Lignier.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPAn exceptionally fresh and cool if distinctly restrained nose offers up notes of pomegranate and black berry fruit scents that are liberally laced with wisps of sauvage, earth, tea and leather. There is excellent verve and fine detail to the impressively intense and imposingly scaled flavors that are supported by markedly firm tannins on the suave, mouth coating and massively long finish. This very structured effort reminds me of some of the great old vintages made by Hubert in the late 1980s and early 1990s.Burghound | 93-95 BH

Laurent Ponsot makes one of the most beautiful examples of this very, very underrated Gevrey grand cru and the 2014 Chapelle looks likely to be one of his finest vintages ever from this terroir. The stunning nose delivers a sappy constellation of red and black cherries, raw cocoa, a touch of meatiness, mustard seed, dark soil tones and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and already quite velvety on the attack, with a sappy core, great soil inflection, suave, ripe tannins and stunning backend energy on the focused and very, very pure long finish. (Drink between 2025 - 2075)John Gilman | 95 JGThe 2014 Chapelle Chambertin Grand Cru behaved like the Griotte-Chambertin in that it needed a prerequisite two or three minutes to fire up its engines. When it did, it sprung a gorgeous floral bouquet with red roses, kirsch and blood orange, all struck through with wonderful mineralité and tension. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, supple tannin. It resorts back to its broody nature. There is appreciable density here, quite tangy and spicy in the mouth with layers of red berry fruit on the very saline finish. It will require 4-5 years in bottle, but the class is here.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPA super elegant nose is composed of an ultra-pure essence of red berries, violet, plum, spice and discreet floral nuances. There is excellent volume and serious punch to the delicious and tension-filled middle weight plus flavors that possess a caressing mouth feel on the lightly mineral-inflected finish. This is a beautifully complex and seamlessly well-balanced wine that should drink well young and old.Burghound | 92-95 BH

The 2015 Charmes-Chambertin from Jean-Marie Fourrier was also showing very well at the time of my visit. The bouquet is deep, pure and complex, offering up a very red fruity blend of strawberries, cherries, a touch of orange peel, grilled meat, a fine base of soil tones, raw cocoa and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and very refined in profile, with a lovely core, excellent backend minerality and a very long, focused and ripely tannic finish. Marvelous Charmes in the making. (Drink between 2025 - 2075)John Gilman | 94+ JGThe 2015 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is the first release from the estate (on the negociant side). It has a slightly smudged but pure kirsch, orange blossom and strawberry-scented bouquet that gains more delineation with aeration in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp red cherry and strawberry fruit with a touch of spice on the composed and elegant finish. This is a comely Charmes-Chambertin that is certain to be seductive over the next 15-20 years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RP(real Charmes): Dark red. Good violet lift to the black cherry aroma. Not yet hugely complex but rich, juicy and energetic, showing attractive inner-mouth floral lift and excellent definition. At once firm and quite suave. These négociant grand crus from Gevrey were harvested up to nine days later than the Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses, noted Fourrier, but today I find a bit less energy in the Amoureuses.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMA background application of wood sets off distinctly earthy, forest floor and humus-infused plum and dark currant aromas. There is a really lovely mouth feel to the caressing, round and vibrant flavors that possess fine richness and persistence if not quite the same complexity or persistence. Even so, this is certainly a quality effort.Burghound | 90-93 BH