2021 Domaine Georges Glantenay, Volnay 1er, Le Ronceret, Côte de Beaune, Red Burgundy, France.
The beautifully satiny dark ruby/garnet Premier Cru Volnay Le Ronceret from Domaine Georges Glantenay and winemaker Guillaume Glantenay, which I’ve not before, is an exciting and well crafted red Burgundy with pretty aromatics, deep red fruits, fine tannins and delicately spiced, making for a graceful and rewarding treat in the glass. The Glantenay with its succulent medium bodied palate feels weightless and is brilliantly balanced, it shows off black cherry, red currant, huckleberry and tangy plum fruits, along with subtle oak accents, a chalky and mineral note, as well as wilted roses, orange tea, a hint of gun flint, herbs and bergamot. This 2021 is noteworthy, because even in more difficult vintage with less fruit density, it delivers a solid performance and is very seductive, this is a brilliant effort from Glantenay and I am very impressed and look forward to trying more wines from this small Volnay based domaine. Volnay, located above Meursault and below Pommard has vines that benefit from well-drained, limestone-rich soils which gives these wines their classic character and sense of place. The wines here are less brawny and powerful as Pommard, but still very age worthy, especially the Premier Crus, like this Le Ronceret, and the famed Taillepieds, which is a source of many collectable versions, such as Domaine de Montille’s outstanding example. Glantenay has nine hectares of vineyards in the Volnay, Pommard, Meursault, Monthélie and even a some parcel in Chambolle-Musigny with mainly old vines, on average 60 plus years old and a main focus on Pinot Noir. There’s a lot to admire here and I’m excited to follow this domaine in the future, I also look forward to trying the basic Volnay bottling, which is exceptionally well priced and well within my usual budget.
The Domaine Georges Glantenay, which dates back to 1893, is now run by Guillaume and Sarah Glantenay, who are brother and sister, is a small estate that has just 8 hectares of vines, all farmed with sustainable agriculture, with the greatest respect for the terroir, which is centered around their prime holdings in Volnay and Pommard. The three main villages of the Côte de Beaune are the famous Meursault, Pommard and Volnay, all very distinct and, while not Grand Crus, these are some of Burgundy’s most serious vineyard sites. Volnay itself is situated between the other two and is widely loved for its silky-smooth Pinot Noirs. The name Volnay, I learned, is derived from the God of water – Volen, and it was called Volnay before its present name of Volnay came into vogue a few centuries later. This region dates back to when the first château was built here around 1250, and its been a favorite spot for red wines for well over the next 800 years. Volnay has became hugely popular with enthusiasts ever since it became its own AOC in 1937. Located atop the hill of Chaignot, the village and vineyards here are set on a steep selection of hills, with a complex set of soils and blessed with favored Southeastern exposure, again making it a prime spot for Pinot Noir with over two dozen Premier Crus. Even the village wines here are highly coveted, but wines like this Glantenay Le Ronceret is a step above and fabulous example of why these wines are so sought after. For this wine, which was 100% de-stemmed and fermented with native yeasts, the maceration was extremely gentle, lasting 10 to 15 days and lightly pressed to barrel for 14 to 16 months with mostly used wood, including about 20% new French oak, to promote purity and elegance. Only a few barrels were made of the Glantenay’s lovely Le Ronceret Premier Cru Volnay, making it a bit hard to find, but it’s one to certainly keep an eye out for.
($120 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive