Burgundy Winemakers: Spotlight on Jean-Baptiste Ponsot

Discover Burgundy Winemakers Like Jean-Baptiste Ponsot from the Appellation Rully

In the Côte Chalonnaise lies the village of Rully. You may not have heard of it before, but it has a long and interesting history, and is now associated with some of the best ‘hidden gem’ red and white wines that Burgundy has to offer. It is rumoured to get its name from a wealthy Roman called Rubilius who built a villa here; at first the place was known as Rubiliacum, which then morphed into the Rully we know today. Today the village grows in renown with every passing year, with some ranking it as amongst the Côte Chalonnaise’s top producing communes.  

Being considered the lesser-known cousin, (“not the Côte d’Or,”) has always been a challenge. Focused on the river port of Chalon sur Saône and the industrial towns along the canal, the Côte Chalonnaise has traditionally produced simple wines. However, in the latter half of the last century, the growing popularity of Burgundy inspired winemakers in this region to aspire for greater things. Today, the Côte Chalonnaise seems to be ‘discovered’ every few years, largely due to the dedicated efforts of a few serious winemakers. 

It’s also close to another village which is coming up through the ranks and rapidly establishing its name – Bouzeron, the home of the Aligoté grape. Rully and Bouzeron are separated by a limestone ridge known as La Montagne de la Folie (the ‘Mountain of Madness’).  

Jean-Baptiste Ponsot: Leading by Example in Rully

Here at BurgundyWine.com by Elden Selections we’ve met some star Burgundy winemakers over the years, leading lights who take centre stage and generate headlines. But there is another breed of Burgundy winemakers who drive things from behind the scenes, discreetly and leading by example. Of these, one of the best is surely Jean-Baptiste Ponsot, whose family have lived and worked in Rully for generations. 

Jean-Baptiste was only twenty years old when he took over the estate in the year 2000. It had been created by his Grandfather Lucien back in 1954, and then managed by his son Bernard after him. Jean-Baptiste got to work making the estate fit for the new millennium and its customers, and in 2005 built a brand new winery and cellar for guests to visit and try his wines. He works sustainably, with no herbicides; in 2007 he banned the use of any weed killers, anti-rot treatments and insecticides. His focus is on improving sustainably, vintage by vintage.

His operations are a fine example for anyone wishing to learn more about the mysterious art of winemaking, because he knows how to use the different parcels of land that he owns to make different characters of wine. He lets all his vineyards play to their strengths and brings out their individual attributes - and as a result they each produce a subtly different wine. These are wines which drink way above their price and reputation, and are truly some of our best ‘hidden gem’ Burgundy wines. 

Hidden Gem Rully Wines on BurgundyWine.com

Jean-Baptiste's Molesme plot is very well-hydrated, and faces east / southeast. It’s made up of a very particular soil combination – reddish-brown and “calcerous” (in other words, containing calcium carbonate, or “chalky”). It has been in the family since the 1950s and on it they grow both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. His Rully 1er Cru Molesme has an unimpeachable structure; a wonderful acidity carries the floral notes and minerality right across the palate. It’s a beautiful marriage between the fat of the wine and the mineral tension that the grapes on this plot of land can produce; round, precise and gourmand. 

But if you move to his Montpalais plot, you will find different characteristics entirely – and also different risks. This plot never freezes in the winter, but it is very prone to erosion because its slope is so severe, so it needs special vigilance. It also boasts a different type of limestone (so-called "de Nantoux" limestone) and its soil is browner than Molesme and very stony. Again, Jean-Baptiste lets these characteristics speak for themselves through his wines; the Rully 1er Cru 'Montpalais' has a gun-flint smoky minerality which drives a ripe, old-vine fruit and elegant white flower complexity to great lengths. It has an extremely long finish, and the hallmark tension, even in such old-vine depth.  

His plot known as En Bas de Vauvry is – you guessed it – different again. Formerly a meadow, it was acquired by Jean-Baptiste’s great-grandfather and is one of just a handful of Rully appellation plots to be found in the heart of the Premier Cru hillside of this appellation, and is known as one of the best Village-level parcels. At time of writing we have just one Jean-Baptiste Ponsot Rully 'en Bas de Vauvry' in stock, which offers stony-dry minerality, smokiness sublimated by a very elegant and creamy toasted aging. It has a great finesse and tension, a hallmark of all Ponsot whites. You’re assured all the complexity of the Premier Crus! 

Meet Burgundy Winemakers and Attend Tasting Sessions with Us... 

Want to taste these wines in the land they were created in? Or meet some of our best Burgundy winemakers and discuss wine with experts and like-minded enthusiasts? Then come and stay with us at our home in Burgundy amongst the vines – Domaine de Cromey. It’s our baronial manor house where we have a dedicated tasting room, recently renovated, and open to you to sample our best hidden-gem, everyday Burgundy wines. These are more than just sales pitches for individual winemakers, though; they are tailored to our guests’ tastes and desires, and can be anything from a spontaneous evening in the cellar to a week-long masterclass. You’ll learn the what, the why and the how – glass in hand, of course! 

To book your Burgundy wine vacation of a lifetime click here. To view a sample itinerary of the sort of activities and wonders you’ll discover as our guest click here. And don’t forget that you can read much more on the ins and outs of our wines, Burgundy winemakers and this fascinating world of Burgundy wines on our Burgundywine.com blog here.