2004 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay Clos des Ducs 1er Cru
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Tasting notes
Clos des Ducs Trescases: Bright medium red. Distinctly herbal, peppery nose, conveying a note of leathery reduction but with its fruit element stunted. Fairly supple on entry, then quite dry and herbal in the mid-palate; comes across as a bit hollow and lacking in fruit sweetness and verve. Finishes dry and herbal, with marginally ripe tannins cutting off what fruit there is. This is not going anywhere good. Clos des Ducs Guala: Similar healthy red to the Trescases bottle, which was the commercial release of the 2004. Precise but reticent aromas of red fruits, leather and herbs. Quite peppery and herbal in the mouth, like the Trescases version, but at the same time silkier in texture and sweeter. As it shows more mid-palate presence, the tannins come off as less dry and intrusive. The herbal finish shows decent length, but this wine is ultimately a bit simple for Clos des Ducs. (13.4% alcohol; September 29 harvest; 37 h/h; 3.63 pH; Angerville actually showed two samples of this wine, the first bottled with Trescases corks, which the domain has historically used for its wines for decades and continues to use today, and the second from an experimental lot of 60 bottles sealed with silicone corks, which Angerville presented as Clos des Ducs Guala)
Critic scores
Neal Martin
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
More than 13-month vegetative cycle because of the precocity of the 2003 harvest: late August to harvest on 29 September 2004. Hail on 24 August. Yield 37 hl/ha, pH 3.63. First year of sorting table: ‘It was needed, I tell you that.’ This year they did a 60-bottle trial with Guala synthetic stoppers (of which Laurent Ponsot was a huge fan); Diam was not so well known then. Final version, closed with Trescases natural cork : Looks very evolved. Rich, welcoming nose. Well integrated. Fairly lean and austere – and possibly typical. But with a very dry finish. Pretty majestic build and ambition but not much fun. Tough end. Closed with Guala synthetic stopper :Seems a richer nose, more flattering. Marginally gentler texture and quite powerful. More obvious fruit but still with a demandingly austere streak on the end. More charming than the version closed with natural cork (I scored this version 17.5, with drink dates 2016–2030). (JR)
The 2004 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs, poured from magnum, has a deep garnet color. It feels stubborn and obdurate on the nose, as Clos des Ducs can do, with blackcurrant leaf and subtle marine influences that become more pronounced with aeration. The palate is supple on the entry with fine tannins and good substance. Succulent dark cherries intermix with red plum and Earl Grey tea towards the structured finish. Very fine. Drink now-2020.
Clos des Ducs is protected by woods up on the hill. It was a strange vintage because the vine had such a long period since the 2003 harvest – 13 months! 2004 was especially successful in Volnay . Mid ruby and very shaded. Complex and muted but very well integrated and balanced and smudgy on the nose. Some real sweetness and a hint of mushrooms on the nose. Ready to drink! Good acidity and gentle tannins. Fresh. But really quite forward. (JR)
About the producer
Marquis d'Angerville is synonymous with the village of Volnay, having long made some of the village’s finest wines. Best known for its Premier Cru monopole vineyard, Clos des Ducs, this estate crafts fine-boned, elegant styles of Pinot Noir – wines that act as standard-bearers for the appellation.