TN: 1996 Robert Ampeau & Fils Volnay 1er Cru Santenots

WINE TALK
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I’ve seen a lot of talk here about the 93 Santenots and problems with the corks. I decided to give one of the 96s a try. It was superb. I have very little experience with the Volnay-Santenots so this essentially establishes the bench mark for me. High bar.

  • 1996 Robert Ampeau & Fils Volnay 1er Cru Santenots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru (1/23/2010)
    This is absolutely lovely. Deep dark core, slight bricking around the rim. Floral perfume initially on the nose which gives way to fresh raspberry, subtle strawberry and a good amount of mushroom and earth. The nose developed so well in the glass and was intoxicating. The palate is surprisingly dense and powerful. Vibrant and fresh with balanced acidity. The earth and secondary notes are prominent but they are balanced well by stunning red fruit. The finish is not a powerful crescendo but rather a lovely long delicate one. Outstanding. (95 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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Hello Joshua,

Those Ampeau wines can be such models of refined beauty, and I have always found them to be pulsing with life, even at the somewhat advanced age they are sold. I’m pleased your bottle did not suffer from ‘1996 syndrome’, the worryingly tough, hard and angular levels of acidity that are often present in 1996 Burgundy (and other 96 French wines from different regions). His late-release white wines are not only well-preserved, but usually rather delightful.

Thanks for sharing your experience of this wine, it is really nice to hear glowing things about a bottle of 96.

Cheers,
David.

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Thanks David. This 96 was a stark contrast to the only other 96 Volnay I’ve had – a 96 Drouhin Clos de Chenes – which does suffer from excessive acidity.