Tasted with Guillaume d’Angerville in Volnay, 06 November 2018.
Domaine Marquis d’Angerville
Rue de Mont
21190 Volnay
Tel: +33 3 80 21 61 75
www.domainedangerville.fr
Guillaume on 2018:
“Everyone focuses on a beautiful harvest, but really it was more about the benign season; a short worry over frost, no diseases, we were fortunate to have rain when needed here in Volnay – good flowering. Of-course an early harvest, a sunny vintage, but not too warm – actually quite fresh. It’s hard to be negative about the season and the harvest. We have some lower acidities than recent vintages, but nothing worrisome – high levels of natural alcohol but also not worrisome – the fundamentals are great.”
Guillaume on 2017:
“In 2017 we started our harvest on 4th September vs 1st September in 2018. Since 1905 I’ve made the 7 most precocious harvests of the domaine – all in the last 15 years! Another big alert on frost – the straw burning appears to have been effective – the rest of the season went on quite nicely. I think the vines reacted quite well following the frost of 2016 – I think good pruning was key – the trick – they recovered much better than after 3 years of hail – the low volumes in 15 are of course down to the dry heat of the year but also the vines being tired from the hail. In fact the quantity was so high in 2017 that for the first time in many years there were a few barrels that didn’t fit in the cellar!”
The wines…
Such a great set of wines…
This Ptg – about 50% pinot
Hmm a deep, vibrant nose – lots of aromatic weight here. Hmm, round, silky, delicious – not heavy – almost airy – deliciousness. Bravo…
2017 Bourgogne Rouge
Similar sector, two climats, slightly closer to Volnay.
A little more direction to the nose – less round and forward. A little more volume, more depth to the flavour. Slightly more structural too – hmm – lovely – wait a little while for this while drinking the last!
2017 Volnay
Directly more width and dimension – a hint of reduction deepening the wine further. A little rasp of tannin but concentration – serious – super but for patience. A great finish, still with plenty of structure.
2017 Pommard 1er Combe Dessus
‘I was tempted to uproot this but biodynamics saved it and brought it back into a good shape.’
A narrower but fine, silky nose, a touch reductive again. More volume, more tannin but without grain. Beautiful finishing.
2017 Volnay 1er Cru
‘A blend of Pitures and Mitans, but it’s convenient as I can put some young vines production from Taillepieds and Clos des Ducs in here in the future.’
An extra density of aroma. Starts modestly then quickly fills the mouth, faint tannin, lots of vibrant flavour. Long, a density of concentration in the finish. Nice wine…
2017 Volnay 1er Fremiets
Ooh an extra depth and weight of aroma. Round, complex, beautifully packaged, just beautiful balance. Bright, mineral almost saline finishing.
More soil here vs Fremiets
Hmm – a concentration of aroma again but this betrays a hint of the floral too. A touch of reduction, but more depth of flavour and depth of texture. Some finishing tannin but a bright line of intense flavour too – bravo – the best I tasted of this!
2017 Volnay 1er Caillerets
A less together nose but certainly still complex at this stage – a suggestion of reduction. More open, fresh, a certain extra clarity here and a very fine complexity. A very fine level of lingering tannin in the finish.
A lot has been replanted – in 2017 there’s no production from that part, though there will be some in 18
A touch more colour? A more profound and cushioned nose – a wow impression. A little more volume, depth of flavour and here a weight of complexity – I sometimes prefer the Caillerets, but not this year – this is envelopingly gorgeous!
2017 Volnay 1er Champans
‘I never know which of these three is higher in hierarchy – it depends on the vintage – that’s why I price them the same!’
A vibrance of intense fruit on this nose. A more open, architectural volume to this wine – very fine almost airy complexity – such a different personality today.
Hmm a beautiful airy nose the elegant equivalent of the palate of the Champans. A small touch of reduction but also an extra depth of texture and flavour – Taillepieds with a hint more clarity and beautifully long.