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750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$1314.27
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Winery
Domaine Ponsot
Vintage: 2012
2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in.
The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
Varietal: Chardonnay
There are few white wine grape varietals as famous or widely appreciated as the Chardonnay, and with good reason. This highly flexible and adaptable grape quickly became a favorite of wineries due to its fairly neutral character. This neutrality allows the wineries to really show off what they are capable of doing, by allowing features of their terroir or aging process to come forward in the bottle. As well as this, most high quality wineries which produce Chardonnay wines take great efforts to induce what is known as malolactic fermentation, which is the conversion of tart malic acids in the grapes to creamy, buttery lactic acids associated with fine Chardonnay. Whilst the popularity of Chardonnay wines has fluctuated quite a considerable amount over the past few decades, it seems the grape varietal allows enough experimentation and versatility for it always to make a successful comeback.
Region: Burgundy
In the beautiful French wine region of Burgundy, there is archaeological evidence to suggest that there has been viticultural activity going on for at least two thousand years. To add to this, there are early written records praising the exceptional wines produced in this region dating back to the 6th century, making Burgundy one of the oldest established and still operational wine regions in the world. The region is most commonly associated with fine red wines, with Pinot Noir being the primary grape varietal grown on its rolling hillsides and gently sloping valleys. However, Chardonnay grapes are also produced in abundance for the production of their fine white wines, with both varietals benefiting greatly from the region's warm, hot summers and the superb soils which make up the terroir.
Country: France
It is widely understood and accepted that the finest wines in the world come out of France. Whether you are drinking a vintage bottle from one of the famed Grand Cru wineries of Bordeaux - such as Chateau Margaux or Chateau Lafite-Rothschild - or a more simple and affordable bottle from one of the lesser known appellations in Burgundy, the likelihood is that the wine is packed full of intense and interesting flavors, and has a fine, balanced structure typical of almost all French produce. This reputation for excellence is taken extremely serious by the French, with dozens of regularly updated laws and regulations ensuring the quality and accurate labeling of wines. Such dedication and passion for fine wine, representative of the region in which it is produced, means customers can be assured that when they buy a bottle from France, they are buying something almost certain to please and delight.
Appellation: Cote De Beaune
The historic and utterly enchanting French region of Cote De Beaune has been producing what are widely regarded as many of the world's finest wines for centuries. The wine industry in Cote De Beaune predominantly revolves around the cultivation and processing of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, which flourish under the hot summer sunshine which typifies the area. Mineral rich soils, sea breezes and centuries of experience and expertise help in growing these characterful grapes and transforming them into something truly remarkable. Cote De Beaune white wines tend to be intense, packed full of fascinating fruit flavors and plenty of mineral character, thanks to the fine features of the terroir being expressed through the juice of the Chardonnay grapes. The red wines, on the other hand, are very good indeed - light, fruity and irresistible.