Tasted in Volnay with Guillaume Glantenay, 04 February and 30 March 2016.

Domaine Pierre Glantenay & Fils
3 Rue de la Barre
21190 Volnay
Tel: +33 3 80 21 61 82
www.domaineglantenay.com/

There have been 6 generations of Glantenay in Volnay, the roots of this domaine coming from about 1850.

There’s what looks like a ‘retail opportunity’ for this domaine close to the Mairie in Volnay, but I met Guillaume Glantenay in his newly updated cuverie, higher in the village.

This is Guillaume’s third vintage since following his parents, he started with the 2013 vintage, the 8 hectare domaine has vines in Volnay, Pommard, Meursault, Monthelie, even a little of his grandmother’s Chambolle (2 premier crus). Their production is 80% red but with Meursault and Monthelie whites.

Their cuverie uses thermo-regulated stainless-steel throughout, and it’s quite a large cellar too – at least in the context of Volnay – Guillaume indicating that it’s possible to accommodate 100 barrels if there is triple-stacking in the middle row.

“Quality is everything”, says Guillaume, “respecting old traditions is great but we can do it that way even better now. We are raisonée in the vines, and I’m looking to extend our approach in vines, but early in the life of this domaine its important not to lose a harvest – the hail has been enough for that!”

For winemaking it’s a manual harvest, the grapes collected in small cases, triage, some whole clusters when we’ve fine grapes (like 2015), 6-7 days of maceration then maintain at temp after fermenting to bring out the best tannins. There’s 18 months of elevage, followed by bottling without filtering and fining.

“It’s a privilege to work the vines like this, I add sulfur, that’s the only thing for wine-making…”

The clientele has changed a little here, before it was mainly visitors, already there are many export accounts, indeed about 70% is now exported versus 10-15% before…

The wines…

Santenots, Brouillards, Robardelle and Roncerets are the best Volnays here, but given that most had just been assembled in tank, I tasted ‘the others’ and then returned at the end of March to taste the wines – just 1 day before their bottling was started.

A super set of wines – really!

A few 15s tasted February 2016:

2015 Bourgogne
From 9 parcels, all in Volnay, all the vines at the base of Volnay near the Route Nationale.
Deep colour to match a deep nose – round, zero SO₂ added so far. Supple, highly fruited, wide, with perfect acidity. Whats too fruity with balance like this?

2015 Volnay 1er Ronceret
Malo done not yet stabilised. A new barrel.
A little fumé, a faint reduction but big, demonstrative wine. Slowly growing a more floral impression. Big, wonderful texture, weight of super fruit. Unplumbable depth…

2015 Chambolle-Musigny
From 3 villages terroirs, including Condemennes near Feuselottes and Cras.
The nose shows fruit with a fine grain of coffee. Big, layered flavour a little saline, sensuous wine.

The following 2014s tasted from tank, 30 March 2016 and to be bottled from the following day:

2014 Pommard
4 parcels, also more from mid-slopes but really older vines – ‘many really need replanting.’ 20% oak again.
A wider, slightly darker fruited nose – with a certain vibrancy. Really super volume in the mouth, supple, fine-textured tannin – almost a suggestion of chocolate.

2014 Pommard 1er Rugiens
From Rugiens-Hauts, with 50-60 year-old vines.
A silkiness of freshness! Wide, interesting, complex if a hint discreet on the nose. Directly in the mouth, super-concentrated, velvet of line, not super-complex today, but despite its directness, sumptuous wine. Long, long…