Country: France Region: Burgundy Varietal: Pinot Noir Vintage: 2018 Colour: Red Style: Dry Producer: Domaine Ponsot  Description:An alouette is a lark. This comes from the 1er Cru section of Morey's Monts Luisants vineyard (much of which is today AOC Clos de la Roche). Ponsot label it Cuvée des Alouettes in order to differentiate it from the white wine that also comes from this lieu-dit (the 1er Cru Clos des Monts Luisants Blanc). Previous vintages of this label have been described variously as tasting like a 'mini Bonnes Mares' or a 'mini Clos de la Roche', and this section of the vineyard is now ploughed by horse. The vines are between 30-50 years old and rooted in white oolite limestone and this typically begets a deep, slow-to-unwind red Burgundy that becomes a vivid, flowing Chambolle-esque 1er Cru with five to ten years in the bottle. The 2016 is true to form: a toned, deep and tightly wound red Burgundy, with a wonderful core of perfumed, sweet red fruit and anise notes, a twist of youthful, inky reduction, ultra-fine yet abundant tannins, and Grand Cru persistence. With class to burn, it's a superb example of this wine. Tasting Note:"The 2018 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Cuvée des Alouettes offers up lovely aromas of red plums, rose petals and candied peel that mingle with incipient savory nuances of grilled squab and forest floor. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, deep and incisive, with excellent concentration, fine-grained and chalky tannins, and above all a bright, vibrant quality that lends this Morey fabulous definition. It will need some time, as it's much more tight-knit than the Morey village." 93 points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate