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.
Another warm dry vintage, which appears to be the new normal. On the one hand yields were disappointing (i.e. 21 hl/ha for the reds and 30 hl/ha for the whites), but upon reflection with some frost in April, uneven flowering with a bit of coulure late May, strong oidium pressure in late June, and a canicule in late July which produced some échaudage in a couple of vineyards…well, maybe we should be thankful that we ended up with as much as we did! Picking started on September 9th and we finished all the reds by the 14th. Corton Charlemagne was picked on the 15th. All the reds came in at between 13.3% and 14.1% with the whites between 13.1% and 13.5%. We did have a bit more rain than 2018 and we ended up with better pH’s and higher levels of total acidity. Whole cluster was about 25% for almost every cuvée and new oak remains at about 25% as well. Vinification was similar to previous years with mostly rémontage augmented by pigeage towards the end. The 2018’s seemed at first a bit disjointed, which didn’t come together until assemblage. The 2019’s, however, have been delicious from the beginning. There is a good similarity to 2009, with a touch of the 2015 rusticity.”
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.
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.
