Volnay, Clos des Ducs, 1er Cru, 2024

More backward than Champans, but with a sense of reserved grandeur that sets it apart in this context. With fruit that runs beyond simply being red, fine spices, a mid-weight delivery, and complex notes of stones, flowers and wild sweet berry fruit, this is extremely compelling and distinguished. Haunting, perfumed and intricate; acerebral Clos de Ducs. 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.