2002 La Pousse d’Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos des 60 Ouvrées- France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru (3/2/2014#
Popped and poured. Ruby hue. So much lift on the nose, with almost searing florals and what seemed like alpine air. Later on scents of cherry blossoms and some acrid stony notes made an entrance. Lots of energy on the palate also with lively acidity propelling layers of pulpy raspberry, red plum and cherry fruit laced with briars, soy, iron, and anise. Tannins well smoothed off but a great deal of spine left. Complicated finish of iron, earth, red fruit, acidity, and grip. Caught perhaps in late adolescence, this wine was most impressive and popping with life. Terrific showing. (93 pts.)
I have had eight bottles of this and they have all been superb. Same people at the helm I think so I hope the wine-making regimen hasn’t changed too much. Up until recently the pricing has been reasonable, but I haven’t check lately!
Paul,
I love Volnay too, and this bottle has always been one of our favorites. Alas, it was the last 2002 in the cellar. Now must wait a big while for the 2005 to come around.
Doug, serious question…you drank 8 bottles of 2002 already…none left. I haven’t touched any of my 2002s to speak of. So…I’m curious: do you prefer wines this young? Are pessimistic about what they turn into with more age…so didn’t keep any? or…and this was the case with me “early on”: this is what I had to drink, so I drank it.
I’m mostly curious why you didn’t keep any to see…
It is a great vintage, imo…and your note captures that greatness…at least when I tasted lots of it in its first few years…“searing florals…alpine”…I think is similar to that “crystalline fruit” I found in so many of them?
The answer is I just ran out of patience! I am trying to hold on to my 1996s and 2002’s (having not started collecting early enough to catch earlier vintages) but it is difficult. As you have aptly described, I had to drink something and there it was (to be sure, as the TN indicates, I really enjoyed it also). On this occasion I thought I had another bottle in the cellar somewhere but was mistaken.
This subject of when to drink red burgundy is evolving for me as I am sure it does with almost every burg fan (and increasingly this applies to other regions as well). I had originally thought that 10 years after the vintage was a good time to drink for premiers, then extended that to 15 years, and now am curious about 20 years. Alas I sometimes flat run out of bottles.
FWIW I did find the nose quite “crystalline”, while on the palate the fruit was very expressive and almost extroverted, and definitely pure and clean.
Paul,
I happened to have some of the 2007 a year ago, and it was quite delicious. Now there’s a vintage to stock up on to provide sustenance while waiting for other vintages to age.
Doug, nice report. I’ve had one at the top of the stack for a while, but have refrained. I have a bunch of his 99’s, but have been leaving them hoping they’d integrate more of their oak. I think 99 was the first year he released, And I think he subsequently realized he needed to back off a bit. It sounds like the 02’s are better in this regard, but I didn’'t buy many because of 99, pointing more toward d’Angerville.
Too funny.
I also have consumed these (05-07) too soon because it’s what I had - was curious and it was priced well.
I realized that I needed to save some bottles and put the rest way in the back of the wine frig.
So out of sight, out of mind.
Yes, I think the oak regimen must have been dialed back by the 02 vintage because although it was discernible in some bottles I have had it was not overt. I didn’t detect much in the 07s either. The d’Angerville Volnays have always seemed pristine in this respect.
Dan,
Great minds think alike! Glad I’m not the only one.
I understand the sentiment. I look at my notes from 20 years ago (I have the same inventory, Cellar Savant, now defunct). I shudder that I was drinking wines after ten years old and thinking they were “mature”. They weren’t…but…I needed to drink something…and then felt that anything over ten was ready to go. I hadn’t yet come to the realization that red Burgs take forever and last forever…and need to be given that to see their best shots. (And, I think that’s what people think is special about Burgundy pinot noir.)
I’ve now come to believe that the “minimum” in almost any vintage is 20 years…and that doesn’t make me happy. As you say “patience” is not easy. But…I’ve had so many great experiences from those bottles I’ve been patient with…like the 1990 vintage which I think is just now becoming superb, that I realize the reward. And…as the flip side, I’ve stopped buying due to my age and the size of my collection of under 20 years vintages.
