Volnay 1er Cru « En Carelle »

Dr. Lavalle listed this vineyard in his 1855 classifications as a "Tête de Cuvée", meaning one of the best of the commune. 

Found in the small band of 1er Crus of Volnay, it benefits from well-drained, limestone-rich soil. Facing southeast allows the vines to benefit from the morning and early afternoon sunlight, and makes this as well an early ripening parcel.

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Characteristics of the vintage

Nature smiled generously on us for the 2022 vintage, producing wines of quality and abundance.  Yields were ample for both reds and whites, as we enjoyed seeing full vats and tanks of both Pinot and Chardonnay.    Frost events occurred in April but we avoided any damage of consequence.  A later-than-usual bud burst helped with that pressure, due in part to new pruning techniques which delay tripening.  Summer-like weather in April and early May saw the vines racing ahead and our vineyard team worked hard to keep up.  Flowering was the end of May under largely excellent conditions.  100 mm of rain the last half of June provided significant reserves for the vines to survive that heat and dry conditions of the following six weeks, which saw only about 25 mm of rain and peak temperatures routinely between 30 and 35 degrees C.  We began picking on 25 August and finished on the 31st of the month.  Sugars were remarkably homogenous with hardly any variation around 12.5 %.  pH’s were practically textbook with a tight range among the cuvées.  Fermentation was long and steady for the reds with most being devatted at close to 21 days.   Malos for the whites progressed orderly from primary fermentation but reds were rather variable with some not finishing before summer.  In the end, the vintage produced wines of exceptional balance and a depth of fruit of remarkable purity.  One can’t help but think of the 1999 vintage for a comparison, which was equally generous in quantity and quality, although the quality of the whites may more closely resemble those of 2002.

Vineyard

The Volnay appellation is found mid-slope in the Côte de Beaune, with Pommard to the north and Meursault to the south. Although there are no Grands Crus here, Volnay's 30 Premiers Crus are unmatched.

 Always appreciated for their finesse and beautiful bouquet, Volnays are often regarded as being feminine. The vines for this cuvée are on average 45 years old. This square shaped, "carré = Carelle”, vineyard is located just below the beautiful 16th century chapel of Volnay.

Service

In order to fully appreciate the aromas it is best to serve this wine between 15-16°C / 59-61°F.

With it's elegant texture it is ideal to pair with white meats such as roasted fowl, stuffed quail with porcinis and foie gras, or veal confit. Perfect as well to enjoy with triple cream cheeses such as Brillat-Savarin or Chaource.