About Laurent Ponsot

After 36 years at Domaine Ponsot, Laurent Ponsot left the family domaine in February of 2017 to pursue a new wine adventure. He is joined in this new endeavor by his son, Clément, whose excitement for winemaking is as strong as his own, while his other two children, Claire and Nicolas, also hold shares in the company. Embodying his pioneering spirit, the company is named after Laurent himself who values humility, respects nature, and enjoys above all else the great pleasure of winemaking.

Most importantly, Laurent Ponsot is a vine grower, and he continues to farm, either through ownership or fermage, a core set of appellations. In addition to many properties with which he has enjoyed a long history, he is actively pursuing the addition of serious holdings. He continues to farm without following a restrictive dogma—continuing to be faithful to nature by cultivating without chemistry, but reserving the possibility in the case of serious threats to cure his vines by the means of today. Looking to revive the proud tradition of the Burgundian Grand Négoce in an intelligent manner, Laurent has also entered the négociant business. For him, “négociant” is not a bad word, and he strongly believes in the ability to make haute couture wines through a careful and appropriate supply chain of raw materials. Through the years he has built up contacts with serious vine-growers who supply his new winery with these materials, for which he then oversees the élevage of these raw materials into classic fine wines.

Laurent’s resolute quest for an alliance between history and innovation continues, and he retains all of the fruits of his past research, such as the perfect closure, élevage without sulfur but under neutral gas, temperature-controlled “intelligent cases”, and the protection of authenticity. Beginning with his first shipments in 2018, all his bottles are “connected” using NFC chip technology. This gives the consumer the opportunity to check the authenticity of each bottle he or she buys. Laurent is also experimenting with new methods in the cellar and beyond, including new winemaking vats designed specifically for red and white wines and innovative, distinctive packaging. Through these innovations, his goal, as always, is to provide consummate, authentic examples of great Burgundy wines.

Always inspired by nature, Laurent has bestowed all of his new wines evocative names inspired by flora. He produces white and red Burgundies from both the Cote de Beaune and the Cote de Nuits, with a full range from villages-level to Premier Cru and several Grand Cru wines.

These are compelling wines from one of the true geniuses of Burgundy winemaking, and that truly reflect the man — innovative, dynamic, distinctive and complex.