06 d’Angerville Volnay (Cailleret)
Modest color, but tightly refined nose w/ floral highlights. Beautiful oolong-like finish. Value.
Both Volnay and Montelie can represent pretty good bargains in a Burgundy market which seems to be continuously hyperventilating. This off-vintage wine, nevertheless comes from a very highly-regarded 1st Cru vineyard, and perhaps Volnay’s most illustrious producer. Like a tall, slim woman on a Parisian boulevard, this wine is both elegantly understated and eye-catching at the very same time. It makes you feel grown up, at a young adult price.
Wine Education Vacation
2006 Marquis d’Angerville 1st cru Volnay (les Cailleret Vyd) from the Côte de Beaune. Tasted at the monthly Friday night Varietal Series class in Nevada City [href="http://wineeducationvacation.com"]. Retail store wine cost is around $85. Wine was part of a comparison to illustrate district characteristics amongst red Burgundies. Others included two Frederic Magnien premier crus from the Côte de Nuits: a Chambolle-Musigny (Feusselottes); and a Vosne-Romanée (Suchot). Unfortunately the Suchot was corked.
Background wine education
Volnay is a small town just south of Pommard in the southern half of the Côte d’Or, France’s legendary Burgundy region. This southern section is best known for white wine, and some of Volnay’s vineyards do cross over into neighboring Meursault. There are no Grand Cru vineyards in Volnay. Indeed there is only one Grand Cru red vineyard in the whole of the Côte de Beaune (Corton Bressandes), i.e. in this southern half of the Côte d’Or. Nevertheless, Volnay does have several Premier Cru vineyards of which they are justifiably proud. Les Cailleret is just south of town along the main road.
The proximity of Volnay to Pommard is confusing because the wines bear virtually no resemblance to each other. Pommard is jammy, the most californicated of all the red Burgundies. Volnay is more frequently delicate, perhaps in the style of New Zealand Pinot Noirs from Central Otago in the middle of the south island, except Volnay has a floral perfuminess reminiscent of Chambolle’s best wines. Bad Volnay is thin and watery. Great Volnay has a lifted berry character backed up by the complexity of black tea. Rarely would anyone describe Volnay as robust in the mouth. Restrained is more often the phrase that springs to mind. Careful never to over accessorize. Understated. Old money.
Taste the Wine
The 2006 d’Angerville was a wonderful example of what the French would call Volnay typicité. Far from lightweight, on an internet dating site it would still have called itself “slender,” and I would have gone along. The wine was much more substantial in terms of flavor concentration than in terms of alcohol and extract. That is an impressive structural expression, no less because it is so unusual when one’s daily fare is California wine, especially today. The nose was overlain by blackberry essence, but lifted by the scent of yellow roses and heather. Round and full, but not big nor obvious. In the mouth the wine was smooth, not at all grippy, with long acid to make you salivate. Like a good comedian, this wine left you wanting to hear more next week.
WINE – FOOD PAIRING
This wine would be perfect with duck leg confit served in a salad of spring greens with pomegranate seeds. Just a hint of raspberry vinaigrette and some hazelnut oil to dress the salad. It could be the first course, but would be better as the third or fourth in a five- or seven-course meal. The idea is you want fragrance without weight. Don’t turn the confit into high-end sloppy Joes with a sauce. Merely use the duck leg by itself, maybe crisped just a bit under the broiler before being separated from the bone and sprinkled in meaty chunks about the salad.
Tags: classic wines, current release wines, France, Pinot Noir
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Wine Reviews
