2005 Volnay Champans

The 2005 Volnay Champans (from vines averaging 50 years of age in a cru of which the domaine owns a good 8%) offers sour cherry, red currant, rose hip, and cinnamon aromas, clear, juicy fruit with underlying wet stone on the palate, and alluring fresh ripe fruit and sweet spice in its finish. Slightly less sleek, refined or cutting than the Brouillards, and exhibiting as yet little of the fungal, forest floor or game elements one might expect to encounter in this site, this nevertheless displays admirable purity and at least decade-long aging potential. The sleek, well-concentrated, and fascinatingly-flavored 2004, incidentally – “picked berry by berry” to avoid any taint of hail, says Charlot – is no less excellent. Jean-Pierre Charlot promotes a brisk, athletically lean and often downright rapier style on which opinions are bound to diverge. If it sets you salivating to imagine the brightness, transparency and cut of Riesling in the medium of Pinot Noir – characteristics I would ordinarily consider more appropriate to Volnay than Pommard – then do not miss this address! The wines had very recently been assembled (and in three instances bottled) when I tasted. Also recommended: 2005 Bourgogne ($26.00;84), 2005 Pommard ($50.00;86), Voillot’s 2005 Beaune Coucherias ($60.00;85-87+?), 2005 Pommard Clos Micot ($85.00;85-86). Importer: Vintage 59, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 966 9218