2005 Voillot Volnay 1er Cru ‘Fremiets’ – Healthy medium garnet color to the rim. Aromas feature strong red cherries and more than a touch of sous-bois. This looks and smells much younger than 15 years.
The palate is equally young and firm. The cherries are still foremost, there is surprising vigor and more than a touch of oak tannins. The vigor and intensity are good, but the impression a bit stern, the texture challenging. If tasted blind I would have guessed Pommard, not Volnay. This is still a pleasure on a cold Maine evening on the cusp of spring. Rated 89, up to 3 points of improvement likely over 5 years.
Sounds lovely, I’ve come to Voillot recently and been impressed. Plus, 2005 is such a generous vintage. I had a 2005 Jadot Beaune 1er Greves tonight and it was youthful, charming, well-balanced and enjoyable. Not a great wine but a good one. And I have to think that the vintage is to thank for much of that goodness. Lower tier 2005s are really nice now.
Many, many 2005 Volnays were archetypal wines that were tight/closed - and for the longest time. I’m only just starting to see them begin to open.
So far I’ve been too scared to open most of my Voillots…
I loved the Rossignol chevrets I opened a couple years ago. Haven’t been able to find any of that wine but have bought a good amount of the 05 Caillerets.
Note from August 2019: Lafarge Volnay 1er cru caillerets 2005. Saw this in the cellar at noon and decided on a whim to bring to try. Not the best idea. Dark, brooding, smokey, one of those 2005s that are built for the ages. Massive wine but too much of everything for the time being. Lots of promise, but not exactly ready…unless decanted 48h in advance.
refrigerated the bottle and finished today. Much better, thank you. The slight loss of freshness more than compensated by the better softness, breadth and subtlety. Rated 90.5 tonight. Really lovely with the used meat loaf. IIRC I have two more in the basement, penciled in for 2024 at the earliest. Who woulda thunk for Volnay? Glad to have them.
Volnay sometimes gets the mistaken rep of being a charming wine, enjoyable somewhat early. Particularly in more significant years, this is not really at all the case. I love Volnay, but for me it is a 15-20 year wine, or more, before it really starts to show it’s stuff. (witness 1999–many of these Volnays are still not ready). And the wines can also age forever.