Volnay, Clos des Ducs, 1er Cru,

Good medium red; a bit less saturated than the 2010. More spicy and exotic on the nose than the '10, with its raspberry and mineral aromas joined by a light herbal element. Enters the mouth with silky richness, then turns juicy in the mid-palate, showing a very suave texture and surprising framing acidity to its flavors of liqueur-like red fruits and dried flowers. Quite powerful and long, finishing with serious late-arriving tannins. This is built for a long evolution in bottle. Guillaume d'Angerville told me that this wine started out huge, but then the élevage gave it focus, whereas the 2008 Clos des Ducs began lean and got richer. (13.55% alcohol; September 13 harvest; 40 h/h; 3.66 pH)