Volnay, Clos des Ducs, 1er Cru, 2022
This is one of the most sensual, silky Clos des Ducs we can remember tasting, whilst retaining that brooding depth and mystery that makes Clos des Ducs so beguiling. Deep dark but fresh fruit, notes of sloe bramble and cherry with a hint of cool earth. Structured, sturdy and profound yet so neatly turned out and polished. The 52 ‘ouvrees’ or 2.15 hectares that this great Clos vineyard spans, measures exactly the same as it did in the early part of the 16th century; its earliest recorded mention. The poor soils and steep, well drained slope of this limestone and Marne vineyard tilts towards the south and south-east. The wines typically boast contrasting elegance and structure. Complex and harmonious, they have a great ageing capacity.
critic reviews
The 2022 Volnay Clos des Ducs 1er Cru is another to add to the canon of outstanding wines from this monopole. It has retained the bouquet with mineral-laden dark berry fruit, perhaps less tea-leaf scents and more of the forest floor. Very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins, a little more grip than it demonstrated from barrel with a structured finish. It is unapologetically classic in style, far more reserved and less fleshy than its peers in this vintage, but it exudes breeding.
The 2022 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs is lovely, unwinding in the glass with aromas of red berries and cherries mingled with peonies, warm spices, potpourri and orange zest. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and pure, with a deep and multidimensional core of fruit, lively acids and refined tannins, it concludes with a long, saline finish.