Bonnes Mares, Grand Cru, Domaine Dujac, Burgundy 2023 vs JCP Maltus, Château Pontet Labrie 2022

JCP Maltus, Château Pontet Labrie 2022

Pontet Labrie is a rare single-vineyard Grand Cru Saint-Émilion, crafted by Jonathan Maltus OBE—one of Bordeaux’s original garagistes and a 100-point winemaker. Unlike the traditional Bordeaux model of blending across vineyard parcels, Jonathan has championed a Burgundian-inspired approach, focusing on small-production, single-site cuvées. In 2014, he turned his attention to a jewel of a plot: just one hectare on Saint-Émilion’s prestigious plateau, with Merlot vines that pre-date the frost of 1957. He believed this site had the potential to be the Merlot-based counterpart to his legendary Le Dôme. With production capped at around 300 cases, Pontet Labrie has quickly become a true collector’s item, even landing in the Robb Report’s “Hard To Get” feature on the world’s most elusive bottles. In fact, the vineyard’s reputation was further cemented when Domaine Clarence Dillon - owners of Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion - purchased the surrounding 14 hectares in 2022, recognising the exceptional quality of the terroir. For those lucky enough to secure an allocation, Pontet Labrie offers not just rarity, but a distinctive expression of Saint-Émilion: elegant, powerful, and true to its single-vineyard roots.