Volnay

Unlike other nearby villages the village of Volnay, that is to say its buildings and its church, sit high atop the slope. It is a very steep climb up the rue de Mont, but one worth taking as on either side of Volnay proper are many of its best vineyards including its pair of famous monopoles: Domaine d'Angerville's Clos des Ducs and Michel Lafarge's Clos du Chateau des Ducs. It is likely that Volnay has been prized for its finesse and bouquet for as long as vines have been grown there. In fact, so admired were the wines of Volnay even in medieval times that it is claimed that Louis XIV (who once owned vines in the village) demanded the entire harvest of 1477 for the royal court. All wines from Volnay share a prominent, common trait: fantastically compelling aromatics. The titillating combination of scents is red cherries, raspberries, violets and spice, each one expressed with magical charm. The palates more or less tend toward stylishness, and the wines are feminine where Pommard is masculine. At the same time, the handful of vineyards nearest Pommard: les Angles, Chanlin and Fremiets do have a touch more grip.