Perched on the hill of Chaignot high up in the Côte de Beaune, occupying a narrow and steeply sloping site, Volnay officially gained AOC status in 1937. But these vineyards have been valued and exploited for centuries, often providing the preferred wines and country homes of royalty throughout the years. Long before modern wine sales, the harvests of Volnay went to the Dukes of Burgundy and the Kings of France.
Situated between Pommard (famous for its powerful reds) and Meursalt (home to rich whites), Volnay wines have a character distinct from that of its prestigious neighbors. Over the centuries, the wines of Volnay and Pommard have alternately shared popularity and comparison. When silkier, smoother wines are in demand, Volnay takes the center stage; with its typically light and aromatic wines that have generally less overt tannin than Pommard.
Volnay is rich in quality climats. With 30 Premier Crus in this small area, more than half of the Volnay vineyards are designated as Premier Cru. As with most of Burgundy’s prized vineyards, the Premier Crus are located on the mid-slope of the Chaignot hill, taking advantage of a tight cluster of high quality terroir. Here, they benefit from well-drained, limestone-rich soils, and, a slightly different orientation of the hill that faces the vineyards south-east as opposed to east like the rest of the appellation– helping the vines to capitalize on the morning and early afternoon sunlight. The highest quality of the Volnay premier crus is the cluster lying at mid-slope starting just south of the village: Clos des Chênes and Taillepieds, ascending uphill from the road, and Caillerets, Champans, and Santenots rolling gently downhill from it. Santenots itself is an anomaly in the Burgundy appellation system, technically residing in Meursault, the land in this area is suited for reds and whites so both are produced, with the reds labeled as either Volnay or Volnay- Santenots; the whites- Meursault. With the same elegance retained in all Volnay wines, Santenots is prized for its stronger tannic structure and the age-worthy wines resulting.
While Pommard is stereotyped for its masculinity, the keyword for Volnay is elegance. The winemaking decisions of a given grower will exert a significant influence on the style of the resulting wine, and Volnays can cover a lot of stylistic ground depending on the producer; but the ideal expression of Volnay will almost always center on finesse and complexity more than on power or muscle. Volnay is an area in Burgundy where true value can be found. It has an immediate appeal which, added to its quick development in the bottle, means Volnay wines can be fully open and enjoyed while still relatively young. Its velvety feminine style is coupled with an aromatic intensity, explaining why Volnay is often described as the “Queen of Burgundy”.
Prieur Volnay Clos Santenots 2005 ($119.95) $89 special 1 bottle available
Pousse D’Or Volnay Clos Audignac 2009 ($149.95) $119 special 4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2009 Volnay Clos d’Audignac is the most open and inviting of these 2009s today. Layers of rich, textured fruit flow across the palate in stunning style. Hints of goudron and licorice add complexity to the dark, jammy fruit. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2039. ”
Pousse D’Or Volnay En Caillerets 2009 ($139.95) $89 special 2+ cases available
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2009 Volnay En Caillerets bursts from the glass with a huge, explosive bouquet. Blackberries, blueberries, hard candy and spices are just a few of the notes that emerge from this layered, intense Burgundy. There is plenty of inner tension here, in fact the Caillerets appears to be holding back a lot of its potential. It is a dazzling wine though, and one built for the long haul. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2049.”Roche de Bellene Volnay Pitures 1er Cru 2009 ($49.95) $41.90 special 10 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 89 points “Bright dark red. Complex aromas of raspberry, leather, smoke and flowers. Creamy-sweet but a bit unforthcoming, with pepper and menthol notes currently dominating red fruits. Just a tad tough today, with a slight dry edge to the finish. An awkward showing today for this very ripe wine.”
Lucien Le Moine Volnay Clos des Chenes 2007 ($119.95) $79 special 3 bottles available
Montille Volnay Les Champans 2009 ($119.95) $99 special 5 bottles available
Pousse D’Or Volnay Bousse D’Or 2009 ($149.95) $119 special 20 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2009 Volnay Clos de la Bousse d’Or presents a wild, almost unrestrained expression of Volnay. It is a sumptuous wine graced with stunning beauty in its opulent fruit. This shows marvelous detail and clarity with palate staining intensity. Despite its richness, there is plenty of vibrancy and freshness. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2049”
Louis Boillot Volnay Brouillards 2009 ($84.95) $69 special 18 bottles available
Lafon Volnay Santenots du Milieu 1er Cru 2009 ($229.95) $189 special 2 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2009 Volnay-Santenots is a wine of breathtaking finesse and elegance. Impossibly silky on the palate, the Santenots impresses for its vivid texture, nuance and precise voice. All of the elements flow across the palate with stunning grace, building beautifully towards the multi-dimensional finish. This is a flat-out great wine from Dominique Lafon. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.”
Henri Boillot Volnay Caillerets 2009 ($169.95) $135 special 10 bottles available
Louis Boillot Volnay Grands Poisots 2009 ($49.95) $39 special 14 bottles available
Marquis D’Angerville Volnay Fremiets 2010 ($149.95) $119 special 14 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93-95 points “The 2010 Volnay Les Fremiets is all crushed rocks, graphite, minerals and wet stones. With time in the glass the fruit gradually begins to emerge. Sweet red fruit, mint and freshly cut flowers are some of the nuances in the glass, but in the end the Fremiets remains decidedly cool and inward. A pointed, chiseled finish continues the theme to its logical conclusion. Readers will need to be especially patient here. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030.”
Matrot Volnay 1er Cru Santenots 2010 ($64.95) $49 special 20 bottles available
Comte Armand Volnay Fremiets 2010 ($139.95) $109 special 12 bottles available
John Gilman 92+ points “The premier cru of Clos de la Barre is located immediately below the village center of Volnay, tucked in on the slope between les Angles to its north and Clos de la Bousse d’Or to its south. The 2010 from Maison Jadot is outstanding and another real sleeper to search out in this vintage. The classy and very precise bouquet offers up scents of cassis, dark berries, espresso, dark chocolate, a great base of complex minerality and just a hint of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very pure on the attack, with impressive complexity, ripe tannins, a lovely core and impressive grip on the long and tangy finish. A beautiful bottle of Volnay in the making, the 2010 Jadot Clos de la Barre will need the better part of a decade to fully blossom and should age for a very long time”
Jadot Volnay Les Santenots 2010 ($84.95) $59 special 2 cases available
Wine Enthusiast 93 points “Santenots, like most premier crus, is located halfway down the slope. This is structured, yet it remains ripe and fruity, and it shows off the voluptuous texture that’s characteristic of Volnay. There is fine balance between the acidity and fruit, and the dry core promises aging potential.”
Louis Boillot Volnay Brouillards 2010 ($69.95) $59 special 16 bottles available
JM Boillot Volnay 2011 ($49.95) $39 special 12 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 88-90 points “Good red with ruby tones. High-pitiched nose offers cassis, blueberry, violet, licorice and smoke. Supple, fully ripe Volnay villages, with blackberry, violet and chocolate flavors carrying well on the finish, where the ripe tannins reach the front teeth.”
JM Boillot Volnay Carelle Sous Chapelle 2011 ($89.95) $69 special 12 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 89-92 points “Bright ruby-red. Black fruits and licorice dominate the nose. Suave and sweet but with ripe acidity giving cut to the concentrated blackberry and dark chocolate flavors. Finishes persistent and lively, with a mineral firmness and solid tannic spine. From a crop level of 32 hectoliters per hectare, according to Boillot.”
JM Boillot Volnay Pitures 1er Cru 2011 ($99.95) $75 special 12 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 91-93 points “Bright ruby-red. Blackberry, cassis, licorice and violet on the nose, complicated by hints of leather and game. Lush and spicy, with ripe acidity giving shape to the dark fruit and chocolate flavors. Unusually deep and suave for this wine at this early stage of its evolution. Has plenty of mid-palate stuffing to support its serious but supple tannins. Offers terrific potential.”
Matrot Volnay 1er Cru Santenots 2011 ($69.95) $59 special 12 bottles available
PY Colin-Morey Volnay Champans 2011 ($99.95) $89 special 12 bottles available
Henri Boillot Volnay 2010 ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special 5+ cases available
Jean Marc Bouley Volnay 2010 ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special 5 cases available
Faiveley Volnay Fremiets 2011 ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special 12 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 89-92 points “(this and the following wines were still in barrel in November; this vineyard was picked first in 2011, along with the Beaune Clos de L’Ecu): Bright red. Pungent red fruits and orange peel on the lively nose. Reticent and rather tight in the mouth, but with a suave grain and lovely lift to the red fruit flavors. Quite closed in the early going.”
Faiveley Volnay Santenots 2011 ($79.95) $66 pre-arrival special 2 cases available
Henri Boillot Volnay Caillerets 2011 ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special 17 bottles available
Henri Boillot Volnay Chevrets 2011 ($99.95) $77 pre-arrival special 23 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 91-93 points “Bright red-ruby. Rather brooding aromas of cassis, blackberry, smoke and licorice are pure and discreet. Surprisingly rich on entry, then lush and seamless in the middle, but with very good acidity framing and lifting the black fruit and game flavors. The powerful, rising finish features building tannins and a distinct thick-skinned character. The old vines in Boillot’s parcel were strongly affected by millerandage, which largely explains this wine’s extra measure of texture and concentration.”
Henri Boillot Volnay Fremiets 2011 ($99.95) $77 pre-arrival special 2 cases available
Stephen Tanzer 91-93 points “Deep red-ruby. Highly perfumed, musky aromas of black raspberry and smoky minerality. Large-scaled, round and rich but not yet complex; less creamy and fine-grained than the Chevrets, showing a youthful toughness from the calcaire-rich soil. Despite the fact that this was the first pinot parcel Boillot picked in 2011, this wine relies more on its big, ripe tannins than on its acids for balance. Really saturates the palate on the aftertaste.”
Henri Boillot Volnay Santenots 2011 ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special 2 cases available
Stephen Tanzer 92-94 points “Deep red-ruby. Black raspberry, dark chocolate, game and a wild hint of leather on the nose, with a floral element emerging with air. Sweet, rich, broad and deep, boasting a velour-like, utterly mouthfilling texture that’s rare for the vintage. Excellent acidity gives this firmly tannic, very long wine terrific energy and lift. Very strong Santenots.”