"A blend of five different vineyards, four of them from clayey soils at the bottom of the incline, the 2016 Volnay Village has an elegant raspberry and cranberry-scented nose with subtle freshly tilled earth/loam scents underneath. The palate is well balanced with juicy ripe tannin, crisp cranberry and wild strawberry fruit with an almost Pommard-like structure on the chalky finish. Very fine."
(89-91) points, Neal Martin (December 2017)
"(just 5 barrels made in 2016, vs. 39 in 2017; destemmed): Bright, dark red. Lovely limestone mineral lift to the aromas of raspberry and strawberry coulis. Fat with red fruits and spices, showing an almost liqueur-like quality and terrific density. Finishes with a plush, broad dusting of tannins, noteworthy limestone energy and a sexy salty quality. A superb village wine in the making, and not at all extreme considering the infinitesimal yield."
(89-91) points, Stephen Tanzer (January 2018)
"A somber nose is composed by notes of various red berries, earth and a floral whiff. There is excellent intensity to the attractively textured middle weight flavors that possess a sleek mid-palate mouth feel that contrasts mildly with the solidly persistent if mildly rustic finale. This too is really quite good."
(88-91) points, Allen Meadows (June 2018)
Volnay is renowned for producing delicate, elegant and graceful wines. The appellation spans 242ha of vineyards, of which 115ha is divided among 26 Premier Crus. Some of the most notable of these are Bousse d'Or, Champans, Clos des Ducs, Les Caillerets and Santenots. Red wine from the Santenots vineyard is labelled as Volnay Santenots.
The wines of Vonay combine distinction, nobility, finesse, elegance, feminity, and an incomparable bouquet. Their robe can range from a tender rose red to the deepest ruby. A delicate bouquet of red berries (raspberry, blackberry) and violets, tannins that may be soft or quite robust, and a gracefully voluptuous palate place these wines among the best representatives of the Côte de Beaune.
