2020 Volnay, Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur, Burgundy

Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or. Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.

The finest and most elegant red wines of the Côte de Beaune are grown in Volnay, a village which might be twinned with Chambolle-Musigny in the Côte de Nuits, for the high active chalk content in the soil and comparatively low clay content. Whereas in earlier times Volnay was made in a particularly light, early drinking style, these days there are many producers making wines which age extremely well.

Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur – along with current winemaker François – was born of the marriage of Vincent Bitouzet (of Volnay) and Ann Prieur (of Meursault), bringing together two distinguished Burgundian families. The domaine has a red cellar next door to Lafarge (who are distant cousins) and a white cellar in Meursault, with reds making up approximately 60 percent of production. The estate’s notable vineyard holdings include a selection of the finest Premier Cru sites in Volnay and Meursault. The whites are elegant and restrained, rather than being broad-shouldered, old-fashioned Meursault. The reds are de-stemmed, with new oak kept to a modest level.