Domaine Ponsot Saint-Romain Cuvee de la Mesange 2019

The Cuvée de la Mésange — named for the small songbird that inhabits the vineyards of Saint-Romain — is one of the more charming surprises in the Ponsot portfolio, and a wine that connects the domaine to a history older than Morey-Saint-Denis itself. The source vineyard is nestled in an elevated valley behind Auxey-Duresses, stony and rugged, typical of Saint-Romain's cool, limestone-rich terroir — and yet the wine is far from typical, with a texture, complexity and seduction rarely seen from this appellation. As this has always come from a vineyard not owned by the domaine, it is now labelled under the Maison Ponsot designation, but the winemaking philosophy is unchanged: whole-bunch pressing, vinification with more solids for texture and weight, and the same non-interventionist principles that define everything the family produces. Saint-Romain is an appellation that rewards those who look beyond the famous names of the Côte de Beaune — its altitude and exposed limestone soils producing whites of a freshness and mineral energy that the richer, lower-slope villages can rarely match. 

Aromas of lime zest, confit citrus and pastry cream introduce a medium-bodied, fleshy and vibrant wine with a tangy spine of acidity and a saline finish. Pale gold with hints of green, the nose presents the full range of lime and white flowers alongside mineral notes; on the palate good minerality balanced by the generous fruit that whole-bunch pressing and solids contact delivers. Like most Saint-Romain, it is delicious young and recommended over the first five years of its life — a wine to drink with the same pleasure and informality that its songbird namesake would approve of entirely