2011 Domaine Henri Boillot Volnay Les Chevrets 1er Cru

Boillot's 2011 Volnay Les Chevrets hits the palate with an array of dark stone fruits, savory herbs, leather and asphalt. The tannins are a bit rough around the edges at this stage, which gives the Chevrets and element of wildness that is not shared by most of the wines in the range. It will be interesting to see if time in bottle helps smooth things out.

Good bright red-ruby color. Dark fruits, licorice and a whiff of black pepper on the nose. Juicy, peppery and intense; classically dry but not hard. Very firm, minerally 2011 with brisk acidity. The dusty tannins avoid coming off as hard but call for patience.

Unusually deep crimson. Very concentrated – unusually so for a 2011. But the fruit is fresh and has some energy. Bone dry – no wallowing in gentle sweet fruit here – but it may well have more longevity than most 2011 Volnays. Ambitious certainly! (JR)