2011 Volnay Clos de la Barre Monopole

Bright medium red. Very floral aromas of raspberry, cherry pit, herbs and underbrush. Shows a touch of roundness and sweetness on entry, then turns green and lean in the middle, suggesting fruit of only modest ripeness. A bit thin for a Jadot wine from the Cote de Beaune.

The 2011 Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Barre has a lovely fleshy nose with luscious red cherries and strawberry. The palate is well-balanced with fine tannins, plenty of crisp red currant and cranberry fruit, with fine backbone on the finish. Very fine. Drink 2014-2020. This was the first time I had been back to Louis Jadot’s expansive winery on the northern outskirts of Beaune since their memorable 150th anniversary tasting back in 2008. As I quipped in the previous issue, Jacques Lardiere was then talking about his imminent retirement that seemed to never come. But on this occasion, there was new winemaker Frederic Barnier there to greet me. He has large shoes to fill but he seems up to the task of steering this important Burgundy name to a new chapter, having worked alongside Jacques for a couple of years. “At the beginning, we were not so confident about the whites,” he explained in reference to his 2011s, “but it has been a nice surprise. The dry spring of 2011 affected the level of ripeness but it has lent freshness, but with low acidity.” We did not have time to taste the entire portfolio of over 80 crus, but instead took a sample of 20 white and reds from both the 2010 and 2011 vintages. Importer: Kobrand, Purchase, NY; tel. (914) 253-7700

(two-thirds of this wine is from very old, low-yielding vines): Good bright red. Dark cherry, menthol, bitter chocolate and licorice on the nose. Fine-grained and vibrant, offering serious mineral energy and definition to the flavors of black fruits and spices. Finishes tactile, firmly tannic and long, with excellent grip.