Convening in southeast Napa in late April, we sorely missed the companionship of Lou Kessler, but we were blessed with the doyen of cassoulet and good times, BL, joining us in our reveries. With gratitude, we most enjoyed the spark of fellowship refreshed. In solidarity with our East Coast brethren, we asked of ourselves to chat and chew in the elements of Bay Area spring weather, cognizant that many are also suffering thru 70* temperatures with blue skies and calming breeze.
Among our confrerie is our link to the real world of wine, a prestigious Napa vigneron, but not wanting to continue name dropping, i will only allow the hint escape that his / her first name commences with a consonant.
all wines were enjoyed and would be appreciated on their own with meals. none were marred by oak. save for the Clerget, balance was superb. the wines speak in strong support of 2016 being a wonderful vintage.
2016 Domaine Marquis d’Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Champans
2016 Domaine Joseph Voillot Volnay 1er Cru Champans
2016 Domaine Y. Clerget Volnay Clos du Verseuil
2016 Domaine Louis Boillot et Fils Volnay 1er Cru Les Angles
the class acts were felt to be the deep and fleshy d’Angerville and the lithe and pretty Voillot. D’Angerville was the least accessible of all the wines and not ready for complete enjoyment, but the consensus was the other 3 were great drinking now (with the perfunctory caveat that they too stood to gain with time).
Boillot was minerally and rustic streaked and stood out for same, but still Volnay in character. a wonderful drink that would pair suitably with foods like duck confit.
Clerget was marked with an acidity that was mildly detracting on its’ own, but less conspicuous when consumed with foods the like of beef tenderloin. Pure fruit and again sits in Volnay.
Voillot was a delight, expressing Volnay character in a pristine style highlighting the stone inflected fruit. Clerget style is similar but did not hit the mark as well as Voillot did (a vineyard factor?). Complexity is most apparent in this wine.
D’Angerville was royal with the most polished texture of our wines. Great depth with the beauty and complexity to emerge in more democratic times, it was the hardest read vis-à-vis what is being foreshadowed. Darker red fruit (cherry spectrum vs strawberry) although that could be a calling of the greater sense of ripeness / concentration.
for those numbers folks, in our groups prime number only scale (53-101), the d’Angerville and Voillot were definitely in the 83 and above region, and Boillot and Clerget were a touch behind at a minimum of 73. There were nary a disqualification for a wine not staying in their lane.
thank you for tuning in…