VOLNAY PREMIER CRU
"ROBARDELLE" 2020
VOLNAY PREMIER CRU
"ROBARDELLE" 2020
Grape variety
Tasting notes
Colour: Dark red robe.
Bouquet: The nose shows flavours of red and black ripe fruits, especially red cherries with toasted hints of coffee and spices.
Palate: A full attack shows a velvet structure, rich, well balanced, spicy, fruity (blackcurrant, blueberries, black cherries), generous, candied fruits and spices, silky tannin, complex, very nice and refined structure.
Wine and food pairing
Serving temperature
Ageing potential
History
Long before the Revolution the harvests of Volnay went to the Knights of Malta, the Abbeys of Saint-Andoche d’Autun and Maizières, or to the Dukes of Bourgogne and their successors, the Kings of France. The typicity of this red Pinot Noir wine was fixed as early as the 18th century.
It gained its controlled appellation status in 1937. The appellation Volnay is twinned with Volnay-Santenots, grown in neighbouring Meursault on ground equally suited to the Pinot Noir grape. Meaning of the climate Robardelle: this area is not far from the ancient Roman road and quarries. The configuration of the places allowed the brigands of great way (robardel) to run and hide easily.
Vinification and maturing
The vinification begins with a cold maceration (8°-10°C) for a few days then the alcoholic fermentation takes over. Selected Burgundy yeasts and daily punching down and pumping over are practiced to promote the extraction of colour material and tannins. The unpacking makes it possible to obtain a drop juice and a press juice that we assemble.
The new wine is then placed under the wood for 12 to 15 months. Maturing in oak barrels with a proportion of 30% new barrels, French oak.
Vintage : 2020
It was an early vintage, with another very mild winter and therefore an early start to the growth cycle.
A rainy, cool May did not slow the vines down, and temperatures quickly rose again. The summer was one of the hottest we have experienced.
The vines reacted in very different ways depending on the sector and it was necessary to monitor the grapes’ phenolic maturity right up to the harvests, since in some cases the berries suffered significant water stress, resulting in delays in ripening and lower yields.
On the whole, the vines in Rully, Mercurey and Maranges held up well because several of our terroirs benefit from subterranean water sources which partially alleviated the stress.
But the fact remains that the expression of aromatic, phenolic and technological maturity was very different from previous years and the evolution of each parameter had to be closely monitored. Once again, the choice of harvest date was decisive in ensuring the quality of the future wines. Especially since there were sometimes significant differences in ripeness within the same plot.
Harvesting began on 24 August and ended on 16 September. Some sectors required patience: it was important not to harvest too quickly. The grapes were in an excellent state of health, but thorough sorting was necessary to separate berries that were still pink and yet side by side with ripe grapes.
Ultimately, yields were particularly reduced for the reds.
The character of the 2020 vintage will gradually be revealed as it undergoes barrel-ageing, but we can already appreciate it for its balance, promising colours, concentration and generous aromatic expression.