Winemaker Notes
Volnay is often described as silky and elegant but the wines can vary in style depending on the soil and elevation of the vineyard. The premier crus situated south of the village, like Clos des Chênes, have a high percentage of limestone and show classic Volnay character of perfume and finesse.
Red Burgundy might be the world's most flexible food wine. The wine’s high acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, and low tannins make it very food friendly. Red Burgundy, with its earthy and sometimes gamey character, is a classic partner to roasted game birds, grilled duck breast, and dishes that feature mushrooms, black truffles, or are rich in umami.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
With vibrant notes of black rum cherry, black peppercorn, and a lift from violets, this wine exudes depth and seriousness. The well-integrated tannins, coupled with a refreshing acidity, provide a refined lift to a dark-fruited palate with a fine stony finish.
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Vinous
The 2020 Volnay Clos des Chênes 1er Cru has a fragrant, eucalyptus-tinged bouquet that bursts from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, grainy tannins, fresh and with a firm backbone, almost Pommard-like in style. Fine salinity on the tensile finish. Excellent.
Barrel Sample: 91-93 -
Wine Spectator
This supple red is hallmarked by intense aromas and flavors of black currant, blackberry and oak spice. Firms up, yet the fruit persists on the finish. Shows fine potential, just needs time for the oak to integrate. Best from 2024
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Jasper Morris
Full bright purple, a little livelier than the Beaune Toussaints. Xavier notes that this closed down at the bottling but is starting to come out more now. Just a little touch of raisin in among the purer style of pinot fruit. A grainy texture, complex and interesting.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
On the hillsides between Pommard and Meursault, Volnay is one of two villages in the Côte de Beaune of Burgundy that is recognized for its extraordinary Pinot Noir. Pommard is the other; the rest of the villages are most known for some of the most exceptional Chardonnay in the world. While Volnay Pinot Noir tends to be light in color and more delicate than that of Pommard, they typically stand on par with each other in regards to quality and demand.
Volnay can’t claim any Grands Crus vineyards but more than half of it has achieved Premier Cru status. Volnay Premiers Crus vineyards stretch across the entire village from northeast to southwest, abutting and actually falling “into” Meursault. Where they merge is a vineyard called Les Santenots. Pinot Noir grows in this Meursault Premier Cru but since that village is most associated with stellar whites, the Pinot Noir from Les Santenots, takes the name Volnay Santenots. Immediately above it are Volnay’s other prized Premier Cru, Le Cailleret, Champans, Clos des Chênes and Le Cailleret.
Volnay Pinot Noir are earthy with red or blue fruit. Aromas such as smoke, herbs, forest, cocoa and spice are common and on the palate they are gorgeous and concentrated with finesse but won’t truly charm you without some age.