The 2014 Volnay 1er Cru les Pitures has a crisp, redcurrant and raspberry scented bouquet, rustic but charming. The palate is well balanced with chalky tannin, plenty of crisp red fruit with a structured, almost foursquare finish. It needs to just flesh out a little, but it should do so by the time of bottling.

A more deeply pitched array of plum, dark berries, earth and even a hint of the sauvage is also framed in just enough wood to notice. There is good richness to the muscular and stony flavors that possess good power, indeed this is almost robust in character while delivering fine depth and length. This is not an elegant Volnay but it doesn't lack for concentration or character.