2011 Joseph Voillot '1er Cru Carelle Sous La Chapelle' Volnay

Winemaker Notes:  With the 2011 vintage, Jean-Pierre began purchasing a few barrels of wine with his négoc license from two well-known grower friends. Both farm vines next to his parcel of Champans and in both situations the vines average at least 50 years old. Carelle sous la Chapelle grows adjacent to Champans on a slight rise or knoll directly behind a small chapel. This rise is a rock outcropping that adds a floral note and tannic structure to Champans' fruity, earthy profile.

Domaine Joseph Voillot is a wine estate situated in the village of Volnay in Burgundy. Its vineyards span approximately 8 hectares (20 acres) split into 35 parcels in Volnay, Pommard, Meursault and Beaune. The vast majority of these are planted to Pinot Noir and include more than 10 Premier Cru sites situated mainly within the villages of Volnay and Pommard.

The vineyards are maintained and farmed using the lutte raisonnée approach, or "reasoned struggle", which utilises traditional cultivation methods without the application of manmade chemicals. After harvest the grapes are completely destemmed and vinified using natural yeasts. Following a three to four pre-fermentation maceration period, the juice ferments in vats for 12-14 days (depending on the level and vintage of the wine). The wines are then aged in 25 percent new oak barrels for between 16 and 18 months.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Burghound - "This is classic Volnay with its ultra-elegant, cool, pure and airy aromas of enveloping red berry fruit aromas where additional depth is present in the form of dried flowers. The refinement of the nose continues onto the naturally sweet and caressing middle weight flavors that possess a tender, even delicate mouth feel, all wrapped in a balanced and persistent finish. If this can add complexity in bottle my score will be overly conservative as the style is wonderfully seductive. In the same fashion as the Taillepieds, this is textbook Carelle."