2016 Domaine de Montille Volnay Taillepieds 1er Cru
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Volnay Taillepieds 1er Cru has a clean, pure and transparent bouquet with perfumed, floral red berry fruit with more sous-bois character evident compared to its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with a crunchy red fruit note on the entry, quite grippy in the mouth. I find the finish a little "bony" and requiring more flesh. If I did not know this was a Volnay I would have put it down as a Pommard. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting in Burgundy.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(vinified entirely with whole clusters and aged in 35% new oak; the average vine age here is 65 years and the soil features gravel on limestone): Bright medium-deep red. Deeply pitched, fruit-driven aromas of black raspberry and dark cherry, plus a hint of smoky minerality. Wonderfully plush yet lively, displaying more volume and depth than the Mitans. Lovely silky Volnay without any impression of undue weight. Really fills the mouth and echoes on the finish while maintaining superb vivacity. Here the acidity is ripe and the broad tannins distinctly suave and fine-grained. This is showing beautifully considering that it only finished its malolactic fermentation in September.
The 2016 Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds is 100% whole cluster and 30% new oak. This vineyard was not affected by the frost. It has a very intense blackberry and Morello cherry-scented bouquet with hints of iodine and incense developing with time. I adore the controlled opulence here. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin but less rigid than the Mitans, with a touch of salinity, a light marine influence toward the finish. This has very good potential, but it will reward those with patience to cellar 4 or 5 years.
About the producer
Volnay’s Domaine de Montille is one of the most historic in the Côte d’Or. Founded in 1730, the property remains family-owned and run, with Etienne de Montille – the ninth generation – at the helm today.