Tasted with Christophe and Pierre Vaudoisey in Volnay, 08 February 2016.

Domaine Christophe Vaudoisey
1 Rue de la Barre
21190 Volnay
Tel: +33 3 80 21 20 14
www.domainechristophevaudoisey.com/

Christophe Vaudoisey, together with his wife Laurence, took on the family domaine in 1985, today their son Pierre is working with them, and Pierre is the 9th generation of the family at this domaine since they moved to Volnay in 1804.

The domaine covers 12 hectares of vines across Volnay, Pommard, Monthélie and Meursault – the biggest cuvée here is their Volnay villages. In 2009 they finished building a new cuverie at the bottom of the village – the cuverie was once a garden in 1er Cru Mitans – it’s Christophe’s parent’s house in Volnay that receives visitors.

The domaine is lutte raisonée and they like to green harvest when necessary – so not in the last 4 years! Triage is in the vines, then the grapes are destemmed. Elevage currently sees up to 25% new oak, and for 16 to 18 months before bottling.

There is some wine sold in bulk here, of that that’s commercialised, 70% are sold in France.

The wines…

Good wines here that take a little time to come round, but they seem to be worth the wait…

2014 Volnay
An assembly of about 20 parcels, from above and below the village, so it should be representative of the village! 20% new oak. Bottled in November.
Good medium-plus colour. Modest, but pretty and clean nose with good width. Good width in the mouth too, growing in intensity and getting wider – a little bitter chocolate in the finish from the oak and pips, but very good length. To wait a little while for, but it seems very good.

2014 Volnay 1er Mitans
Not yet bottled – from 0.25 ha.
Deeper, clean, pure notes of fruit. Lovely on the mouth, not the silkiest but with great flavour, concentrated flavour that’s really coming in waves. Concentrated and long, very good wine, again to wait for.

2014 Volnay 1er Roncerets
0.16 ha of 15 year-old vines sitting below Champans.
A little more open, bright and dark – with flashes of clean complexity in the nose. Again a little oak texture but lovely flavour too – the flavour delivered in the Mitans is more impressive, but there’s more complexity here, but subtle complexity.

2014 Volnay 1er Clos des Chênes
0.40 ha, now bottled. Like all 1ers about 25% new oak, but the trend in the last years has been a reduction.
Medium-plus colour. Deep, dark fruit, tight in the bass, but it’s there. Saline, silky, very different in the mouth, growing intensity – ooh… – super wine. Direct and impressive – ‘it was wider before the bottling…’ also lovely length.

2010 Volnay 1er Mitans
Not much colour development. The nose is round and open, very inviting, faintly floral and cushioned. Like the 2014, great texture, round, involving flavour, a faint salinity and a growing minerality. A round and impressive wine that simply tastes great – the oak flavour has all-but gone. Great to get an idea of how these wines develop.