2023 Volnay Clos des Ducs 1. Cru Marquis d'Angerville Magnum

Elegant and aristocratic, the Clos des Ducs from d'Angerville is a bit restrained initially but opens up with pomegranate and blackberry fruit aromas and flavours on the palate. The wine is not astringent, but one senses the massive structure and impressive length at first taste. Because of the stony limestone and white marl soils in this 2.15ha holding at the top of the premier cru slope, this complex wine will take time to unwind, but it will undoubtedly be worth the wait.

The 2023 Volnay Clos des Ducs 1er Cru seems to have a different aromatic profile from the other Premier Crus. More introverted at first with darker fruit as well as sea cave and light loamy scents, it takes time to cohere in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grip. It is structured with good tension yet more backward and less giving than, say, Champans or Taillepieds at the moment. This is the one cuvée I would cellar for several years before broaching.

Aromas of dark berries cassis and cherries mingled with spices and orange rind in a complex bouquet introduce the 2023 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Ducs, a medium to full-bodied, complete wine that in some respects represents the synthesis of the d'Angerville premiers crus—the finesse and perfume of Caillerets, the layers of Taillepieds and the structure of Champans, united in a whole that's more than the sum of its parts.

(a monopole that measures 2.15 ha). This was the only wine in the range to display more than a trace of reduction and even here, the aromas are clearly ripe. There is more volume and power to the tautly muscular medium-bodied flavors that conclude in a wonderfully persistent, compact and impressively well-balanced finale where a touch of bitter pit fruit appears. This too is lovely and a Ducster that should be approachable after only 5 to 8 years yet has the stuffing to reward 12+ years of cellaring.