Note: from a .60 ha parcel Producer note: As is his usual practice, Laurent Ponsot was one of the last growers to begin picking reporting that he began on "September 27th. 2005 was an easy vintage where everything pretty much went exactly as planned. There was no rot, no hail, no pests, no excess production to guard against and essentially perfect ripeness. Seriously, it was like a dream vintage. Sugars were between 13.5 and 14%, which means no chaptalization and yields hovered around 25 hl/ha and could not have been any cleaner. For me, the 2005s are a blend of 1985 and 1990, which means that they should be great as I love both of those vintages." I have to completely agree with Ponsot as he's right, the Domaine hit homeruns in both 1985 and 1990. And while the vintages of the '90s proved inconsistent for Ponsot, he really hasn't missed since 1999. Indeed, in 2005 he has produced simply stunning wines that are among the very best of the vintage and his 2004s are also strikingly good in the context of that vintage though they do not rival his '05s. In sum, do not miss the Ponsot '05s as they are "sell the house, sell the spouse, sell the dog" kind of good! And if you find the '04s at attractive prices, do not hesitate with them either. Tasting note: Ponsot does not usually serve the Clos St. Denis before the Chapelle and when I asked about it, he simply said "you'll see why." While I don't quite agree that the Chapelle is superior to the fabulous Clos St. Denis, it's remarkably close and in contrast to a number of vintages, the comparison is much closer than it usually is. For starters, this is an amazingly dense wine for the vintage, both in terms of the sheer volume of fruit and the layered, opulent, almost thick flavors that are impressively concentrated, complex and loaded with mid-palate sap. It's not quite as deep but there is plenty of balanced and integrated structure and superb length. This too is a serious old school burgundy that will live for a very long time.