VOLNAY PREMIER CRU`ROBARDELLE`

VOLNAY PREMIER CRU
"ROBARDELLE" 2020

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2022 2023

Grape variety

100% Pinot Noir.

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

Will be perfect with a warm Mont d’Or cheese and Morteau sausage, feathered game, steak tartare, guinea fowl with a turnip bake, pan-fried Brussels sprouts with bacon or a tender piece of Tome cheese from Savoie.

Serving temperature

Drink ideally at a temperature of 14 to 16°C. (57-60°F.).

Ageing potential

In good storage conditions it will age patiently for 8 to 10 years.

Origin

The village of Volnay lies to the south of Pommard, between two hills that protect it from the wind, on one of the highest points of the Côte de Beaune in Burgundy.

The vineyard covers 215 hectares (144 of which are Premiers Crus); in Volnay, there is no Grand Cru but 26 Premier Crus. The vineyards are planted on an extremely fine subsoil composed of Argovian limestone marl and, in the area bordering Pommard and Meursault, Bathonian clay-limestone scree. The altitude ranges from 230 to 370 metres.

The name "Robardelle" is thought to come from the location of this Premier Cru, not far from the old Roman road and the quarries where highwaymen (robarts) could make a quick getaway.

Vinification and maturing

Harvested by hand, the harvest is sorted at the vineyard and upon arrival at the cellars. The grapes are destemmed, crushed and then placed in thermo-regulated vats.

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

For decades, we have not seen such variations in the grapes than in the 2020 harvests.

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.

VOLNAY PREMIER CRU"ROBARDELLE" 2020