2012 Volnay Clos des Chenes

The 2012 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chenes, which lost 50% of the crop due to hail, has a fine raspberry and wild hedgerow-scented bouquet and it has a pleasant linearity and strictness missing from the village cru. The palate is nicely structured with soft red berry fruit, plenty of strawberry and red cherry, with a light, slightly smudged finish. Fine. Domaine Christophe Vaudoisey is located on the central square in Volnay, its neighbor Domaine Joseph Voillot. They farm 11 hectares in Volnay, Pommard and Meursault, their approach very traditional, with an emphasis of leaf plucking to reduce yields. Wines usually undergo a 15-day maceration with daily plunging of the fruit that is completely de-stemmed. I met with young Pierre Vaudoisey who has worked abroad on Waihiki Island in New Zealand. Some of the crop is still sold to negoce. Importer: no known importer in the United States, though available through several UK merchants including AB Vintners.