2006 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay Les Caillerets 1er Cru

Perhaps in part because the vines are only 12 years old, the d'Angerville 2006 Volnay Caillerets doesn't measure up to the other crus in this year's collection (although the 2005 was excellent). Decidedly sweet-sour, it mingles tart berry skin, faintly herbaceous notes, and cherry pit and iodine bitterness with lightly-cooked fruit and caramelized elements, finishing persistently yet still with a certain bifurcation. Perhaps this matter will resolve itself (even short-term), but still, the wine will I suspect continue to lack the depth or textural allure requisite to its being better than "very good." Like his illustrious father, Guillaume d’Angerville and estate director (and brother-in-law) Renaud de Villette have beaten the odds with their gentle art of winemaking (inter alia short maceration, no pigeage, promotion of late malo, low levels of new wood) in far more difficult vintages than 2006, so the generally high quality of their recent collection comes as no surprise. They waited until late September, and then brought in their entire crop in only five days. I have not had chance to taste the d'Angerville generic and village wines, nor their Champans it was bottled. Incidentally, this estate continues to routinely give its wines a course plaque filtration. Importer: Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 419-1400