Our Group of Eight Vancouver met for Event #105 featuring 9 Premier Cru wines from Volnay with a dinner on October 25, 2022 at Blue Water. Many of these previous special educational wine tasting-dinners have been documented over the years on this Blog. Also earlier references to Volnay including on October 26, 2015 here spotlighting the wines of top producer Marquis D’Angerville. At that time your scribe stated Volnay “epitomizes what I really admire in a pinot noir showing that seductive signature of fragrant delicate elegance. In my opinion the Volnay region still remains undervalued for the quality generally delivered.” That was a strong opinion expressed then that remains true today some 7 years later as confirmed by this tasting. Volnay is rather a small AC with the fuller Pommard on one side and vineyards of Monthelie & Meursault on the other. Like in Beaune & Pommard there are lots of Premier Cru vineyards but no Grand Cru. However the overall quality is high as shown by the fact 35 Premier Cru Volnay red cover 136.28 hectares more than the improving Village red Volnay at just under 100 (98.37). Some brief impressions:

Worth mentioning is the high quality though rather unknown old (1894) house Pascal Agrapart Champagne. From the classic 2012 vintage en bouteille May 2013 and disgorged February 2019 as Extra Brut (3 g/l dosage) it has choice upslope old Avize vineyards (Robarts & Gros Yeux) with deeper clay over chalk resulting in a powerful Avizoise Blanc de Blancs vinified and aged in 600 litre oak (demi-muids) that impresses so fresh, delicate, and complex. Highly recommended.

1) 2015 VOLNAY CLOS DE LA BARRE 1er Cru LOUIS JADOT This Monopole 1.32 hectare good drainage plot usually has structure with deep fruit but can be rather austere early on though 2015 is a riper vintage. Approachable.

2) 2009 VOLNAY LES SANTENOTS 1er Cru DOMAINE BERNARD & THIERRY GLANTENAY Also a hot vintage but small production of big ripe red fruits in an earthier spice style from a respected for aging south facing vineyard (but younger vines planted 1989 & 1997) actually in the Meursault commune. Simpler.

3) 2005 VOLNAY CLOS DE LA BARRE 1er Cru LOUIS JADOT A third ripe vintage in the first flight but a solidly balanced one with developing velvet textures. Patience rewarded but already delicious with Spaghetti Alio e Olio with Black Truffle.

4) 2017 VOLNAY LES CAILLERETS 1er Cru DOMAINE HENRI BOILLOT Youngest wine from a vineyard usually producing less fullness but lovely in combining fresh deep cherry & raspberry fruit with textbook delicate classy Volnay style. Structured, vibrant, impressive and the surprise of the night!

5) 2007 VOLNAY “SANTENOTS” LUCIEN LE MOINE Deep but ponderous. Reductive. Needed longer decanting? A bit cloudy. Not singing. Variable vintage with terrible Summer weather.

6) 2005 VOLNAY CAILLERETS 1er Cru ANCIENNE CUVEE CARNOT BOUCHARD Slightly smoky nose at first but cleared to sweet charming intensity -another impressive structured 2005 starting long plateau of lovely enjoyment.

7) 2005 VOLNAY CHEVRET 1er Cru DOMAINE NICOLAS ROSSIGNOL Third flight all have concentration with aromatic depth resulting from great vintages. This is slightly drier on the nose but still lots of generous fruit there with silky textures developing. Now or later. More dimensions with the spiced juicy flavours of the well-matched Pheasant course

8) 1999 VOLNAY-CHAMPANS 1er Cru LEROY A great expensive producer but those 1999 red Burgundy are always stellar. Rich fat plummy weightier style of Champans. Very impressive result indeed. Outstanding.

9) 1999 VOLNAY SANTENOTS-DU-MILIEU 1er Cru DOMAINE DES COMTES LAFON Sturdy like the Champans vineyard but very full rich depth almost lush from a vineyard that has an earned reputation for long successful aging. A very special vineyard in the Meursault commune approved as red Volnay. Another beauty from the 1999 vintage. Pure joy to monitor it going from strength to strength.

Our leader Ian Mottershead read some appropriate quotes from Stay Me With Flagons by Maurice Healy (close friend of our Founder Andre Simon) on “the greatest of them all” a miracle 1889 Volnay-Caillerets!

Certainly Volnay 1er Cru showed what it is capable of delivering here. Exceptional where the top vintages of 2005 & 1999 provide the extra fruit intensity to back that unique delicacy. Also in that surprising 2017. Recommend following Volnay more closely. You will be delightfully amazed.

Question: What is an amphora?

Answer: It is historically a vessel (usually made of clay and often shaped like a vase) used for holding wine. It has received a renewal particularly by the natural wine movement to the old natural way of making wine back in Greek & Roman times. Clay is porous like oak so does allow some oxygen but neutral (like stainless steel so no added flavours). Mixed results but some unique wines have been produced. Check them out.

Your scribe was invited to attend the celebratory intimate dinner at The Vancouver Club on October 12, 2022 following the Master Of Port Canada 2022 competition organized by Port and Douro Wines Institute (IVDP). They are global ambassadors for Port & Douro wines – a public government body overseen by the MInister of Agriculture in Portugal. It was great to have them in Canada to do their impressive Masters of Port competition. This difficult and highly competitive event resulted in a most worthy winner in good guy and most knowledgeable sommelier Leagh Barkley on top. Good celebratory photo! Vancouver Club is on a revitalized roll under new GM Tim Ellison with more focus on wine and food events. Good main course choice of Smoked Duck Breast with roasted squash & Brussels sprouts with the 3 Douro Tinto wines of 2019. All showed well but quite differently from “classy” nose of Leda to more leafy character of RP to clearly ripest pure fruit of Van Zellers. Fortunate to sit beside Manuel Lima DipWSET Quality Control of Port & Douro Wines at IVDP. Manuel advised that 2019 is not the best year for Vintage (2017 is better) but there are some very good Douro reds. Always fun to compare the dramatic difference in style between a seductive complex wood aged Tawny Port of 30 years (from Sandeman) with a fresh powerful concentrated Vintage Port (Taylor 2000). Both outstanding!

Question: What is the year of earliest Port harvest in the Douro Portugal

Answer: Surprise. Hot Douro weather in 2022 resulted in the earliest August harvest dates in their long history of production. Manuel Lima DipWSET Quality Control for Ports and Douro Wines Institute was in Vancouver last week for the Finals of the Masters of Port competition and confirmed this information to me. Lots of wine regions around the world experienced their earliest harvest dates in 2022. Fitou in the Languedoc reportedly started their harvest on July 24.

Corton-Charlemagne (C-C) is a very special white Grand Cru Burgundy that has been spotlighted on this Blog previously including here on July 30, 2018. Those superb limestone soils with clay/marl on the elevated slopes can produce unique Chardonnay grapes resulting in a wine with a most distinctive complex terroir. The vineyards encircle on three sides the hilltop woods called “Bois de Corton” winding around from north-west to south-west to south-east from three villages of Pernand-Vergelesses (En Charlemagne), Aloxe-Corton (Le Charlemagne) and Ladoix-Serrigny (Les Pougets, Les Languettes, Le Corton, and Les Renardes). Unfortunately for consumers the specific Climats (in brackets above) are not shown on the wine labels so you have to research deeper to ascertain the location of each winery’s plots for C-C.

The C-C wines continue to become more expensive every vintage led by Coche-Dury and Domaine Leroy. However, there is a new key player on the block with the release of DRC’s first C-C from the 2019 vintage – now the highest priced C-C – from four parcels of nearly three hectares (leased from Bonneau du Martray) producing about 500 cases. Try and get a taste of this if you possibly can. On October 11, 2022 our Group of Eight dinner at Blue Water in Vancouver revisited this exciting appellation comparing 8 vintages from 8 different producers starting with a young 2018 back to a 2002 at twenty years old. Our leader Ian Mottershead thoughtfully prepared a helpful tout sheet on C-C principal owners (total of 75 over 71.9 hectares) which is attached. Note by far the biggest holdings are
Louis Latour & Bonneau du Martray both are just under 10 hectares each. Your scribe agreed with the group consensus that felt the first 3 youngest wines showed the best this time. Interesting because historically we usually tended to prefer C-C with some bottle age to add some rounded powerful opulence and complexity to the inherent balanced acidity you normally find there. Perhaps climate change is contributing to the earlier enjoyment of these classic whites. Some brief thoughts on the C-C wines:

1) 2018 JOSEPH DROUHIN: East facing Climat all in Les Languettes so should show more freshness with a less powerful style. It does that even in the very hot 2018 vintage yielding only 6 casks (30% new) from the end of August early harvesting. Impressive acidity for generally a softer year with stylish forward flavours plus lovely minerality. Well done.

2) 2016 FAIVELEY: Usually one of my fav C-C producers and this evening again WOTN. Old vines from mid 30s + late 80s and some more recently planted in 2010. So pure with citrus “agrumes” leaping out of the glass and a wonderful delicate tension on the palate. Frost delayed but ripe sugars with excellent acidity (not quite 2014) to complement. Batonnage & 18 months in new French oak has resulted in a balanced concentrated beauty that will only get more complex with some more bottle cellaring.

3) 2015 LOUIS LATOUR: Prime south-east property with stony limestone in the past harvested late for ripe grapes using 100% new oak. More recently under Louis-Fabrice who just passed away they were picking earlier for less sugar (and less alcohol) and using less new oak. Like the combo of vanilla and almonds showing here with some impressive length. No rush.

4) 2014 COMTE SENARD: Brilliant vintage for Burgundy whites (and Chablis) from a small producer under Lorraine Senard but rather a disappointing bottle here. Confusing too as they also release a white Corton & a red Corton en Charlemagne so be careful that you actually get their C-C.

5) 2011 BONNEAU DU MARTRAY: Big producer with some 15 parcels kept separately until after vinification and second racking. Often like their lovely apple, mandarin orange, pear, flinty character but also too much past pre-mox experiences hopefully now getting better. OK.

6) 2008 REMOISSENET DIAMOND JUBILEE: Showed younger fresher and more interesting in 2018 tasting. Here this bottle has lost fruit and is rather dull. Drinkable and improved with chicken/foie gras course.

7) 2006 PIERRE ANDRE: Bought by the Frey Family (La Lagune & Jaboulet) in 2015 and renamed Chateau Corton C. Best is yet to come. Fresher here with some delightful ginger and a better bottle than the sweet caramel maderized one served in 2018. Best of second flight but not as a classy as first three younger wines.

8) 2002 RAPET: Delightful treat in Magnum from south-west facing vines on a steep slope using 30% new oak. Unfortunate that even in large format there wasn’t quite enough freshness at 20 years from a producer known for usually providing lovely forwardly honey toasty styling. Variable.