2003 Volnay Santenots du Milieu

Something bacterial? Mossiness. Very distinctive. Sweet and a hint of something ‘natural’. Not pure but sweet and unusual. Graham Nutter’s daughter said it reminded her of old potpourri, ‘as though it had been in a hole, been a mole etc’. Not a success. (JR)

The 2003 Volnay Santenots 1er Cru has a well-defined bouquet that manages to counter the warmth of the growing season, offering mulberry, damp earth, touches of freshly rolled tobacco and just a hint of cedar. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a mixture of red and black fruit that is soon joined by allspice, white pepper and cloves. It dries out just a little toward the finish, but otherwise Dominique Lafon crafted a perfectly decent Volnay here, albeit one to drink in the immediate future. Tasted at Sarah Marsh’s 2003/2004 tasting in London.

Healthy mid garnet. Just a slight edge of decay on the nose but otherwise this is pacy, racy and exciting. Tantalising! Lovely smooth texture on the palate with bitter-cherry notes. Then just a little tannic pinch on the end. On the palate this is very convincing; it’s just the nose that's a little worrying. (JR)