2016 Benjamin Leroux Volnay Clos de la Cave des Ducs 1er Cru
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Tasting notes
(half racked, half still in barrels; 50% whole clusters; from vines of widely varying age, averaging about 45 years old): Good medium red. Redcurrant and spice aromas convey a light sweetness as well as an impression of mineral grip. Less floral than usual for this cuvée but fresh and sharply delineated in the middle palate. One feels the stem component on the back end, which features serious dusty tannins and piquant notes of herbs, spices and orange peel.
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Caves des Ducs, which has 50% whole-bunch fruit, has a transparent, red cherry and crushed strawberry bouquet that opens with more confidence than the Les Mitans. The palate has a fine bone structure, quite focused and grainy in the mouth with a keen thread of acidity, quite stern toward the finish but you have to admire the detail here. This has great potential.
15% whole bunch. Calcareous soils. Half racked. Bright crimson again. Grainy, pungent nose. Just a little reduced but with lovely racy and very alluring fruit. Bright and delicate but with masses of ripe fruit. (JR)