From The Wine Conversation with Sarah Kemp (wine-conversation.com)
“Episode Summary: In our latest 10-Minute Masterclass, Jasper Morris MW, author of “Inside Burgundy,” takes a look at the appellation of Volnay, which is situated in the Côte de Beaune, a couple of villages south of Beaune itself. Historically, Jasper explains, Volnay has greater significance than most Côte d’Or villages, as the Dukes of Burgundy built a summer palace there – many of the vineyards have the title “Duc” in their name.
Volnay’s terroir is a mix of limestone and clay, but Jasper explains that Volnay is known for its more “active limestone, which means it comes through and gets into the vines itself and the wines, making them lighter, fresher and more perfumed.” There are more Premier Cru Volnay vineyard – 115 hectares, than Village Volnay, which has 98 hectares. The appellation runs from Pommard in the north to the south of Meursault, where the reds are known as Volnay Santenots.
Some of the most well-known vineyards are around the village: Clos des Ducs, Clos de la Caves des Ducs, Clos du Château des Ducs, and at the southern end above the main road, the D973, you have Clos des Chênes, and Taille Pieds, whilst below is one of the greatest, Cailleret (of which, someone in the 17th century said, “If you don’t have vines in Cailleret, then you don’t know what Volnay is.”)
There are not many producers in the village of Volnay itself, though some have vineyards there, such as Domaine Lafon. The name you will come across most will be the Rossignol family, in one form or another. Blue-chip names found there include Marquis d’Angerville, Domaine Michel Lafarge, Domaine de la Pousse d’Or, and Domaine De Montille. Jasper’s tip for up-and-coming producers are Thomas Bouley and his cousin Kieran Bouley, as well as Georges Glantenay, and Bernard and Thierry Glantenay. “The one I like a lot and is excellent value and under the radar, is Domaine Buffet,” Jasper concludes.
Volnay produces wines slightly lighter in colour, but “it’s the perfume that makes Volnay so special,” Jasper notes. He advises, “one of the things I find particularly interesting is when the wines are young Volnay seems nice, or very nice, in the hands of a great practitioner, but if you happen to have a bottle of 30 to 40 years of age and you drink it in a mix of really top wines from the Côte de Nuits, Grands Crus from famous villages, the Volnay really holds up, it is more exciting and hedonistic with age.”
Vintages to look out for: “2017 is absolutely delicious now,” he says. Jasper also suggests 2007,2010 and 2011 for being very attractive now. He also reveals “the years ending in nine are particularly good in Volnay.”
Jasper’s obscure fact? At Domaine Lafarge, Frederic and his daughter Clothilde hitch up a trailer with a hen house and take their hens to the vineyards, where they run through the vineyard eating worms. At lunchtime, they are whistled for and return to the Domaine, though as Jasper points out, not to be eaten for lunch.”
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