2010 Volnay Les Chevret
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Tasting notes
Medium red. Explosive aromas of red berries, licorice, chocolate and underbrush. Not particularly fleshy but juicy and sharply delineated, with terrific cut to the tangy dark berry and spice flavors. Given its firm spine of acids and tannins, this Volnay also boasts lovely charm and delicacy. Finishes very long and perfumed. (Incidentally, Boillot believes that his 2010s will remain open, but I'd still give this wine at least five or six years in the cellar, as it's likely to put on weight in bottle.)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2010 Volnay Les Chevrets emerges from the glass with a sweet, perfumed bouquet that melds into expressive dark fruit. This is a fairly immediate Volnay that should drink well with minimum cellaring despite its considerable energy and fleshiness. Floral notes add lift on the refined, chiseled finish.
The 2010 Volnay Les Chevrets emerges from the glass with a sweet, perfumed bouquet that melds into expressive dark fruit. This is a fairly immediate Volnay that should drink well with minimum cellaring despite its considerable energy and fleshiness. Floral notes add lift on the refined, chiseled finish. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. Henri Boillot turned out a superb set of 2010 reds. Best of all, readers won’t have to shell out a fortune to enjoy them, as a number of the more modestly priced wines far exceed the quality of their respective appellations. Yields came in at 20-22 hectoliters per hectare, a 40% decrease over the more typical production of 35 hectoliters per hectare. Boillot began harvesting on September 29 and ended on October 7, among the latest, if not the latest, to finish picking. Fermentations lasted about 29 days on average. Boillot has augmented his holdings with 5 hectares of vineyards that came online in 2010. I tasted all of these wines at Boillot’s cellars in Volnay. Boillot told me he plans to have his new facility in the Champ Lins section of Meursault fully operational for both whites and reds by summer 2012. Importers: Massanois Imports, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 470-6769, Cynthia Hurley French Wines, West Newton, MA Tel 617-965-4251 www.cynthiahurley.com and Chelsea Ventures, LLC, 1601 South Canal St, Chicago, IL 60616 tel. 847-920-5052
Mid crimson. Intense and cleverly sculpted. Lots here in excellent balance. Dry finish. There’s a real beginning, middle and end to this wine. Bitter cherries. (JR)
About the producer
Based in Meursault and farming some of the finest vineyards in the Côte de Beaune, Henri Boillot is a leading address in Burgundy. He crafts fine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but the estate is best known for its flagship monopole vineyard, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos de la Mouchère.