Le Village Volnay 1er Cru Pinot Noir

Gorgeous, refined nose of cherry flower, glazed cherry, spice, earth and subtle florals, all delivered with tremendous silkiness and restraint. The palate is more closed than my last bottle, but still beautifully elegant and nimble, with sweet and sour mid-season cherry fruit, very high acidity, laser-like precision, excellent delineation and a long, energetic finish. Clearly beginning to shut down, but the material is all there.

Much more open this morning, with the nose largely holding its beautiful cherry-flower, spice and earth profile but feeling a touch more integrated. The palate has transformed, now decadent, silky, sweet and intensely juicy, with gorgeous texture, excellent freshness and a much more complete sense of harmony. 9.5 to 9.6 overnight.

THE sleeper in the Buffet lineup. I adore this wine as it’s the most lacey, elegant, ephemeral 1er cru not just in Volnay but in all of Burgundy. It’s just gorgeous. Nose leaps out of the glass with unreal cherries and florals. Almost cherries in a demi glace. So provocative. It’s so expansive like when you’ve squeezed a flower petal or a piece of marijuana and you get the pungent aroma. That’s just the resting state for this nose. Huge spice. I could smell this all day. Wow. 9.7 nose. The palate is just silk. This is the silkiest 1er cru ever. Hauntingly elegant and with the most energetic yet sweet fruit. Gorgeous, pitter patter tannins and sweet fruit that is so pure and so delicate. The most gorgeous wine and has loads of early charm. I knew this was going to be a star in 23. Wow.