2014 Volnay Fremiets

The 2014 Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets has a glorious nose that has mustered a little more va-va-voom since I tasted it from barrel last year. It lets rip with Morello cherries, fresh strawberry and a pastille-like purity. It is a very winsome bouquet, well defined and gains intensity on the glass. The palate is more conservative than the aromatics. It is well structured, the tannins slightly chalky in texture, the acidity nicely judged with a gentle grip on the finish. Whilst it does not have the persistence of the best premier crus from d'Angerville, there is an effortless nature to this Volnay.

A little more spice than in the Clos des Angles but also an inviting cherry-vanilla sweetness. A good deal firmer in texture than the Clos des Angles. Lightish in weight/body, dry in finesse. All held in a refined dry structure. So precise and accomplished. (JH)

Good dark red. Deeper and more complex than the preceding samples, showing very good floral lift to the aromas of dark raspberry, licorice, mint and spices. Also considerably silkier in the mouth even if it's a bit youthfully compressed in the early going. The intense black cherry fruit carries well on the long, ripe, firmly tannic finish. One-third of this parcel was planted in 1999 and 2002, but the oldest vines date back to the late 1950s. This wine is much improved in the last few years as the younger plantings approach maturity, said régisseur François Duvivier, noting that very few vines at this estate pre-date World War II.