2019 Volnay Clos des Ducs 1. Cru Marquis d'Angerville

The 2019 Volnay Clos des Ducs 1er Cru has a typically aristocratic nose with layers of red and black fruit infused with shaved black truffle, crushed stone and pressed iris petals. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy saturated tannins, a voluminous Clos des Ducs that fills the mouth. Maybe a little spicier than usual, there is a generous pinch of cracked black pepper towards the finish and its normal extremely persistent aftertaste. Class from start to finish, cellar this for several years before even thinking about opening a bottle.

The 2019 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs is immensely promising, mingling aromas of cherries and cassis with notions of orange rind, violets, raw cocoa and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it's bright and concentrated, built around powdery tannins and tangy acids.

The Clos des Ducs is the large d’Angerville monopole at the top of the premier crus, nourished by underground springs. There is a little valley that funnels cool air down from the Hautes Côtes that keeps the wines very fresh, an advantage in a warm year. This shows marvellous, bright blackcurrant and mulberry fruit aromas, with plenty of earthy complexity. The tannins are firm, but have a very silky texture and there's lovely length on the finish.

A fine even mid purple. The bouquet offers this sense of harmony, which sets the Clos des Ducs apart. The fruit on the palate starts gracefully with medium intensity, then bursts forth on the second half of the palate. The idiom is certainly ripe, but there is no undue heat here and the wine finishes with a valuable thread of acidity.