JCP Maltus, Château Pontet Labrie, (Magnum) 2019 vs Pommard Premier Cru 'Les Grands Épenots', Domaine de Montille, (Magnum) 2020
Compare current tracked prices, stockists and core specifications. JCP Maltus, Château Pontet Labrie, (Magnum) 2019 currently starts £3.40 lower.
| Availability | In stock | In stock |
|---|---|---|
| Best current price | £308.10 | £311.50 |
| Current stockists | 1 merchant | 1 merchant |
| Producer | JCP Maltus | Domaine de Montille |
| Style | Red | Red |
| Grape | Merlot, Cabernet Franc | Pinot Noir |
| Size | 1500ml | 1500ml |
| Where to buy |
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JCP Maltus, Château Pontet Labrie, (Magnum) 2019
Pontet Labrie is a single vineyard Grand Cru Saint-Émilion, owned by one of the original Bordeaux ‘garagistes’, 100-point winemaker Jonathan Maltus OBE. Jonathan has evolved his winemaking philosophy pioneering a Burgundian approach, unusual in Bordeaux, focussing on small production, single site cuvées (rather than blending his various blocks, like everyone else). In 2014 he approached us as he owned a single 1ha of vines on a prime site of the prestigious plateau of Saint-Émilion, with vines pre-dating the frost of 1957, which he believed had the potential to be the Merlot-based equivalent to his famous Le Dôme. The six vintages produced have attracted excellent 94/96+ point reviews and, given the exceptionally limited production, are immediately collector’s items, even featuring in the Robb Report’s “Hard To Get” feature on the world’s most elusive bottles. Pontet Labrie has been produced across the greatest six vintage run in Bordeaux’ history – 2015-2020, every year a winner and showing the individual character one would expect from a single vineyard wine. In August 2022 Prince Robert of Luxembourg’s Domaine Clarence Dillon (owner of First Growth Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion) bought the other 14ha of the vineyard from the owner, convinced of the quality of the terroir. This only helps to enhance the allure of Pontet Labrie. The vineyard produces a maximum 300 cases of this exceptional Merlot/Cabernet Franc and allocations are available exclusively through Honest Grapes.
Pommard Premier Cru 'Les Grands Épenots', Domaine de Montille, (Magnum) 2020
Domaine de Montille wanted their first kosher wines to set a new benchmark so chose prestigious, discrete-sized premier cru sites that are picked at around the same time and usually early which is a bonus in a forward vintage like 2020. The cuvees have not needed acidification or chaptalisation either and both reds are 100% whole cluster so minimal intervention is required to ensure quality. To ensure the barrels are kosher, they are filled up three times with water, left for 24-hrs each time and emptied, then refilled with fresh water and rinsed. The barrels are then inspected and approved. This process necessarily begins four days prior to harvest. The domaine's wines are known for their great aromatic purity. They always favour balance and elegance over power and extraction. The wines are classic expressions of Burgundy, of their appellations in general and of their specific terroirs in particular. The farming methods they use contribute to this individual style, and their winemaking methods aim to avoid excessive outside influences in order to bring out the equilibrium that can be found naturally in Burgundian terroir. The Domaine has practiced organic viticulture since 1995. Today, their wines are certified by Ecocert. Additionally, since 2005, biodynamic practices have been implemented. Pommard is an appellation that makes wine lovers dream. It is 312.76 hectares of Pinot Noir (115 hectares of which are Premier Crus) cover two terrains: south (on the Volnay side), the wines are elegant yet powerful; while in the north (closer to Beaune) the wines are silkier. However, this rule has some exceptions, like "Les Grands Épenots", which is planted on a combination of clay and limestone that is rich and heavy. This Premier Cru initialised a request for reclassification to Grand Cru in 2012. The words "epeneaux, épenots, epenottes" certainly comes from the same root as "épine", or spine. It is possible that there were previously patches of thorny bushes in the middle
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