Medium colour. A kind of candied sweetness mixes with red fruit and eventually a beguiling floral aroma – lovely. This wine has thinned-out, plenty of acidity but intensity too and an impression of extract. Still very drinkable but not the gorgeously cushioned drinkability of its first few months in bottle. This remains a great Brouillards.
Voillot Joseph
2005 Voillot Joseph Volnay Champans
Medium and a bit depth of colour. The nose is deeply red with an impression of soft oak in the background. It’s a narrow entry, right through into the finish where it suddenly widens and shows a lovely length of flavour. The fruit is a mix of beautifully melded cherry and raspberry, the tannin must be in there somewhere but the impression is just the smooth ride to the finish. Compelling, but less interesting and open today than the Brouillards despite a little more density.
2005 Voillot Joseph Pommard Les Rugiens
Medium colour. Width but little depth on the nose – just a twist of oak early on, followed by nice soft red fruit and a slowly intensifying redcurrant. On the tongue it’s soft, no Pommard rusticity, tight, reasonably concentrated though not obviously intense. Understated length, lingering with mouth-watering acidity.
2005 Voillot Joseph Volnay Fremiets
2005 Voillot Joseph Volnay Vieilles Vignes
Medium colour – a little darker than Voillot’s Brouillards. The nose has some inelegant powdery fruit and hints of sulfur, faint black shades and occasional glimpses of lovely pure fruit. It needs a lot of time – in fact overnight – and the nose cleans up considerably, turning quite black. In the mouth it’s fresh and slowly mouth-watering with just a little more tannic texture than the previous premier crus. The flavour profile is almost good but on day one reflects the less interesting parts of the nose – but improves, though comes across a little diluted in the mid-palate. It may put on weight with time, but I won’t be along for the ride.
2005 Voillot Joseph Volnay Les Brouillards
Medium cherry-red colour – relative to its age and other wines of the vintage it’s quite light in colour. The nose is forward and shows a lovely perfume; floral top notes and bright red berries with red cherry at the base. Fine silken texture, perfect acidity and a slowly fading, cream-edged finish. Not powerful, but it has real dimension, class and elegance – excellent.