Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru “Cuvée des Lilas” 2018 – Laurent Ponsot

Overview

The Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru “Cuvée des Lilas” 2018 represents the pinnacle of elegance and complexity in Burgundy Chardonnay. The 2018 vintage offered particularly favorable climatic conditions: a warm, sunny summer balanced by cool nights, allowing grapes to reach optimal ripeness while maintaining freshness and mineral tension. This wine stands out for aromatic depth, structural balance, and long-term aging potential, embodying the quintessence of the Bâtard-Montrachet terroir. Contains sulfites.

History of the wine

The Bâtard-Montrachet vineyard is one of Burgundy’s most renowned Grand Crus, celebrated for producing white wines of exceptional richness and longevity. The “Cuvée des Lilas”, named after the delicate lilac flower, symbolizes elegance, refinement, and purity. Laurent Ponsot sought to create a wine that faithfully expresses the terroir, combining the millennial tradition of this cru with modern winemaking techniques, ensuring a product capable of evolving gracefully over time.

Vineyard philosophy & cellar approach

The vineyards are managed with natural and biological principles, avoiding synthetic chemicals and promoting biodiversity. Harvest is handpicked with rigorous selection to ensure only the finest grapes enter production. In the cellar, spontaneous fermentations and aging in carefully managed French oak barrels allow preservation of aromatic purity, minerality, and terroir complexity. Laurent and Clément Ponsot’s “haute couture” approach combines innovation and tradition, producing long-lived wines of exceptional precision.

Tasting notes

Color: deep golden yellow with amber highlights and luminosity.
Nose: complex, layered bouquet combining ripe white fruits, candied citrus, white flowers, honey, and subtle minerality, evolving beautifully with aeration.
Palate: full-bodied and harmonious, with balanced acidity, refined minerality, and a long, persistent finish highlighting the nobility and depth of the cru. Silky texture, elegant finesse, and perfectly integrated structure.

Food pairings

Ideal with lobster, lobster claw, king crab, baked noble fish, and shellfish. Also pairs beautifully with delicate white meats, creamy risottos, mushroom dishes, and soft cheeses such as Brie or Camembert. Serve at 12–14°C to fully appreciate its complexity and structure.

Tech Sheet

• Appellation: Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

• Vintage: 2018

• Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay

• Aging: French oak barrels

• Alcohol content: 13%

• Serving temperature: 12–14°C

• Contains sulfites