2012 Volnay Santenots du Milieu

Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Volnay 1er Cru Santenots du Milieu showed just a touch of reduction, but otherwise there is appreciable blackberry and briary fruit here, tertiary/woodland scents with just a splash of balsamic. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, good backbone, more backward than its peers and probably befitting another 12 months in bottle. Broody perhaps? Yet there is appreciable balance and its sturdiness will soften with time.

(production of 16 hectoliters per hectare): Deep red-ruby color. Aromas of black cherry, animal fur and dark chocolate. Very rich and classically dry, offering a suaver, finer-grained texture than the Champans. Shows a slightly roasted quality to its dark fruit flavors along with complicating notes of spices and espresso. Here the tannins are dusty and substantial but mellow.

Deep, bright red. Dark cherry, espresso and mocha on the nose. Incredibly sweet, round and full, with an almost liqueur-like chocolatey ripeness. Outsized wine from a tiny yield; in fact, Lafon did not declassify the young Santenots vines into a village Volnay in 2012 because this fruit was so concentrated and scarce. Can't quite match the Champans for vibrancy or tension but there's enough energy here for mid-term aging. Incidentally, following the 2011 Santenots, I also retasted the 2010 and 2009. The former wine is like a baby 2005 and is dominated by its tannins today, while the 2009 showed captivating, liqueur-like sweet fruits and outstanding high-toned intensity. It has the density and length to age, but it's utterly silky and seductive right now.