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A recent evening spent with Mr. Roger Stein, who’s collection is being offered this weekend, had us sampling a couple of Roulots and Ponsots, in that order. The four wines we sampled were beautiful reminders of why Burgundies are some of the greatest wines on Earth, and often the most contested. These two producers are at the top of their game, and as this evening would prove, have been there for years.

We started with a 2004 Roulot Meursault Tessons, Mon Plaisir, which was clean, buttery and smoky in that signature Roulot way. The more I drink ’04 whites, the more hard-pressed I am to consider a better white Burgundy vintage so far this century. The Roulot was absolutely delicious, young yet approachable, decadent yet elegant, long and refined, bristling with minerals and a just-right kiss of wood. Its smoky flavor lingered, and this bottle wasn’t around long (93).

Next up was a 1990 Roulot Meursault Les Luchets, nineteen years old and still legal despite not being an official premier cru of Meursault. The Luchets was still singing, showing its age in a rich, complex way. It was very opened and honeyed, showing lots of yeast, and again that smoky Roulot style. Complex nuances of cobwebs, damp earth and old barn danced around its core of meaty, yeasty fruit. Its flavors were rich and fully integrated, holding on to its golden years, showing lots of honey and kinky fruit flavors. It was a welcome transition to the reds that were to follow (93).

A 1979 Ponsot Clos de la Roche was absolutely delicious. 1979 and 1980 seem to be forgotten years for red Burgundy, but every time I have had one recently they make me want to have more. There just aren’t that many of them still around, unfortunately. This Ponsot was in a perfect place, hauntingly good and showing mature aromas that were still very fresh. Black fruits danced around its nose, which had an earthy foundation that reeked of terroir. Chocolate, sandalwood and a catnip-like goodness rounded out its nose. The palate was in sync with the nose, showing similar characteristics, and going down easy. It was a pleasure to drink, mature yet capable of going another decade and then some, although it may never be better than it is right now (95).

The 1991 Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes was inky by comparison. It was an adolescent next to the ’79, still showing lots of baby fat and thick, black fruits. It was very shut down after the glorious ’79, clearly possessing lots of raw potential, but unrealized at this point. Very thick and round in the mouth, there were lots of black fruits and even more concentration, but the definition needs to flesh out more. Compared to most 1991s at this point, this is far less advanced and has a long future ahead of it, but on this night, it was shut down and not that forthcoming (92+).

It should be a great week full of great Burgundy, especially Friday night and Saturday at Cru for our ‘Road to Burgundy’ auction. We hope to see you there in person, live online or in spirit!