Domaine Ponsot : Saint-Romain Village "Cuvée de la Mésange" 2021

Tasting Notes and Serving Tips for the Saint-Romain Village "Cuvée de la Mésange" 2021 from Domaine Ponsot

Tasting

Appearance

The wine shows a pale yellow hue with golden highlights, sometimes enhanced by greenish tints typical of white Bourgogne wines from high-altitude terroirs.

Nose

The nose reveals lovely aromatic complexity with notes of candied citrus and lime zest, accompanied by floral touches of white blossoms. Aromas of green apple, pear, and peach also emerge, along with a mineral dimension marked by nuances of honey and crushed stone. Subtle notes of pastry cream add a gourmet touch to the whole.

Palate

On the palate, the wine displays a medium body with a fleshy, vibrant texture. The acidity is lively and lemony, bringing remarkable freshness that perfectly balances the fruit flavors. The mineral structure, evoking stony notes, remains present throughout the tasting. The finish stands out for its elegant length and mineral persistence, with a dry character that preserves the purity of the fruit’s expression.

Food and Wine Pairing

This Saint-Romain white pairs ideally with delicate fish prepared steamed or poached. It also goes beautifully with oily fish such as salmon or tuna, whose richness is perfectly offset by the wine’s acidity. Seafood, shellfish, and crustaceans are also excellent choices. Dishes featuring poached eggs, grilled or marinated vegetables, as well as soft, creamy cheeses like camembert make harmonious pairings. A seafood risotto is also an especially successful match.

Serving and Cellaring

The Saint-Romain Village "Cuvée de la Mésange" 2021 fully expresses its potential when served between 12 and 14°C. This wine can be enjoyed now, but will continue to evolve favorably until around 2034, or even up to 2038 depending on cellaring conditions. A few years of aging will allow the different components to integrate harmoniously and encourage the development of secondary aromas.

Other Characteristics

This wine is defined by its dry profile, with no perceptible residual sugar, which highlights the purity of its fruity and mineral expression. The natural vibrancy of its acidity is one of its key strengths, giving the wine great freshness and an interesting aging potential.

A Mineral, Precise Saint-Romain White from Domaine Ponsot in Bourgogne

The Estate

Founded in 1872 by William Ponsot, Domaine Ponsot is one of the most highly respected estates in Bourgogne. Based in Morey-Saint-Denis in the Côte de Nuits, this family-run domaine covers around eight hectares of vineyards. Since 2017, Rose-Marie Ponsot, the fifth generation of the family, has been leading the estate alongside winemaker Alexandre Abel. The domaine stands out as the largest owner of the prestigious Clos de la Roche Grand Cru and for holding Clos des Monts Luisants, the only Premier Cru aligoté in Bourgogne. A pioneer of estate bottling as early as 1921, Domaine Ponsot follows a respectful viticultural philosophy, favoring minimal intervention and refusing the use of new oak barrels to preserve the authentic expression of its terroirs.

The Vineyard

This Saint-Romain comes from plots located in the Côte de Beaune, south of the Côte d'Or. This appellation is characterized by its high elevation, with vines planted between 280 and nearly 400 meters, making it one of the highest vineyards in the Côte de Beaune. The soils rest on a Lias geological substratum, made up of limestone and marl with clay-rich areas particularly favorable to chardonnay. The plots benefit from south-southeast and north-northeast exposures. This altitude and the coolness of the climate allow the grapes to ripen slowly while preserving remarkable natural acidity, giving the wines pronounced minerality and great aromatic precision.

The Vintage

The 2021 vintage in Bourgogne proved particularly challenging. A severe frost in early April over three consecutive nights caused major damage, compounded by a warm spell in March that had triggered early budbreak. The Côte de Beaune was especially hard hit. Spring and early summer then brought cool, rainy conditions that encouraged the development of fungal diseases. Fortunately, from September onward, the return of northerly winds and sunny conditions with cool nights made it possible to obtain grapes of fine quality. Despite these favorable late-season conditions, yields were among the lowest ever recorded, with losses sometimes reaching 75% for whites in certain parts of the Côte de Beaune. The white wines of the 2021 vintage are defined by balance, freshness, and aromatic finesse rather than opulence.

Winemaking and Aging

The Saint-Romain Village "Cuvée de la Mésange" 2021 is made in line with the estate’s philosophy, favoring flexibility and adaptation to the vintage’s characteristics. After whole-cluster pressing, the must begins fermentation in stainless steel tanks before being transferred to French oak barrels to finish fermenting. The estate never uses new barrels, preferring casks at least five to ten years old to avoid oaky aromas that would mask the expression of the terroir. No sulfur is added unless absolutely necessary. Malolactic fermentation takes place naturally in barrel. Aging then continues for fourteen to eighteen months on the lees, without racking, allowing the wine to build complexity and texture while preserving its natural freshness.

Grape Variety

100% chardonnay