Christophe Thilloux

Update 8.4.2016(4.4.2016)billn

DSC09292Tasted in Volnay with Christophe Thilloux, 02 February 2016.

Domaine Christophe Thilloux
4 rue de la Chapelle
Volnay
+33 3 80 21 28 59

This is a 4.5 hectare, family domaine, set just up the road from the Pousse d’Or. The domaine was started by Christophe’s grandfather and today Christophe shares it with a cousin. They have vines in Beaune, Pommard and Volnay; 14 parcels for 10 appellations. Christophe notes “Everything from vin de table to Volnay Caillerets.”

Christophe started in 1992, taking some of the customers of his grandfather – today the market is visitors!

Since 2009 Christophe’s father has been ill, so the new production is sold to the négoce as grapes, harvested by the teams of the négoce.

Some old stocks of finished wine remain and are sold from here. Everything done in a ‘natural’ way” says Christophe; everything manual, destemming, pigeage, concrete tanks for fermentations and elevage using only old barrels – 2-4 years old.

The wines…

Wines from 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2009 are still for sale here, they are cheap but not worth a special trip. We looked at a small Volnay selection:

2005 Volnay
Good colour. Bright, concentrated red berry fruit. Wide, fresh, a certain growth of richness to the texture, but only moderate concentration for an 05. Good layers of flavour, already a little development to the flavour. Mineral finishing. Modest wine yet with good length – good.

2001 Volnay 1er Cru
Two vines blended, a mix of Mitans and Pitures.
A little deeper aromatic, clear earthy, leafy development. Mouth-filling, a developed, earthy flavour too – savoury in impression. Again a good texture – this is the best part – though actually the finish is also quite good with some layers of flavour.

2003 Volnay 1er Cru
“They started not very nice but have come around; they didn’t have acidity or anything – they were flat for the first 3-4 years.”
Big and fruity nose – slightly spiced. Mouth-filling. In the mouth the texture is not bad, the fruit however has really quite a stewed character. The nose is much nicer than the flavour, though you still have to drink it fast as it grows a more oxidised impression…

2000 Volnay 1er Caillerets
0.1069 ha
Fruity, almost floral, then a faint sous bois. Round, some richness, a modest tannin, wide, sweetness of fruit, layers of flavour. By far the best wine – tasty and drinkable. Yum!

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