There will be but two barrels of 2005 Volnay Clos des Chenes Vieilles Vignes – from ancient vines – a wine displaying aromas of ginger bread, roasted marrow, and sauteed champignons. In the mouth, this is extraordinarily richly concentrated, with a wonderful sense of stuffing yet refinement and elegance as well. Spicy, fungal, meaty and stony flavors follow in a long finish. Here is one of those beyond-fruits-and-berries Burgundies that makes you shake your head in wonder that it could come from grapes. Laurent says the old vines material is so concentrated that it benefits from his addition of some fruit from four year old vines. Expect this – the first in this line-up tasted from new barrel, but displaying no superficial oakiness – to mature slowly, probably for two decades.
A Patrick Lesec Selection, Paris Fax 011 33 4 66 37 67 23; Martin Scott Wines, Ltd., Lake Success, NY Tel. (516) 327 0808