2023 Volnay Champans 1. Cru Marquis d'Angerville 300 cl.

The 2023 Volnay Les Champans 1er Cru has a delineated, intricate bouquet that opens beautifully in the glass. It is surprisingly mineral-driven given the warmth of the season, with the terroir really coming through. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly edgier tannins compared to the Taillepieds. This finely crafted, quite sapid Champans is fresh with a little more salinity, particularly toward the finish.

Even in this more charming vintage, the 2023 Volnay 1er Cru Champans is the most structured wine in the range, opening up to reveal notes of cherries, berries and peonies, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and broad-shouldered palate built around sweet, powdery tannins. It will reward a bit of patience.

This is also aromatically quite fresh with an airy mix that derives mostly from the red side of the fruit spectrum while being laced with discreet spice, floral and earth wisps. The lilting and utterly delicious middle weight flavors are not quite as mineral-driven though, unusually, they are even finer on the balanced, long and solidly complex finale. This is also excellent and worthy of your interest.