2019 Nicolas Rossignol Volnay

2019 Nicolas Rossignol Volnay

2019 Nicolas Rossignol Volnay is medium to full-bodied with aromas of plums, wild berries, warm spices and licorice, fleshy and layered, with fine concentration, lively acids and an ample core of fruit. Concluding with elegantly chalky grip on the finish, this cuvée has always been one of the more charming and immediate wines in the cellar, but it appears to be gaining in seriousness—without loosing any of that easy appeal. 93WA

Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”

Volnay- Sometimes known as the Chambolle Musigny of the Côte de Beaune, Volnay is famous for its silky, elegant wines with finesse, delicacy and an almost ethereal nose. However, the wines have a depth and structure that can allow them to age for decades. Remington Norman said it wonderfully in his book The Great Domaines of Burgundy: ‘If the wines of Pommard sometimes seem like a truck-driver’s interpretation of Pinot, then those of Volnay are a ballerina’s.