2023 Marquis d'Angerville Fremiet Volnay 1er Cru, Burgundy

The 2023 Volnay Frémiets 1er Cru has a taut and fresher nose than the Clos des Angles, with touches of oyster shell filtering through the bright red fruit. The palate is ripe on entry, silky smooth in texture, and this displays fine delineation. There is more grip and backbone here with a sapid, peppery finish that lingers. This has a sensuality that I’m sure will be captured once in bottle.

91-93 points Neal Martin, Vinous

Domaine Marquis d’Angerville is woven deeply into the history of Volnay, with the family established in the village for more than two centuries. Jacques d’Angerville was one of Burgundy’s important early champions of domaine bottling, determined that the identity of individual vineyards should reach the bottle intact. His son Guillaume has run the estate since 2003, maintaining that philosophy while continuing to refine the vineyards and cellar. Frémiets is a particularly fascinating part of the domaine’s holdings and often one of its most elegant wines.

Volnay Premier Cru Les Frémiets lies at the northern end of the appellation, close to the border with Pommard. Its position gives the wine an intriguing combination of personalities: the perfume and delicacy we expect from Volnay, but with a little extra firmness and savoury structure. Limestone and marl underpin the site, and the domaine’s parcel consistently produces a wine with lovely aromatic detail and a distinctly mineral line.

Bright ruby with red cherry, raspberry and wild strawberry joined by violet and dried flowers. Blood orange provides a fresh citrus lift, followed by subtle clove, black tea and forest floor. The palate is graceful but not delicate, with beautifully defined red fruit framed by fresh acidity and fine, persistent tannins. Cherry and redcurrant lead into tea leaf, gentle spice and stony mineral notes, finishing long, fragrant and quietly savoury.

Duck with roasted beetroot and cherries has the right combination of sweetness and earthiness, while porcini risotto, roast quail, grilled king oyster mushrooms with lentils or a Comté and mushroom tart would be equally at home. Young bottles deserve a generous glass and some air, but the real reward will come with patience.

Cellaring: Drink from 2028 to 2045+.