Offering up notes of red berries, licorice and sweet soil tones, the 2019 Volnay 1er Cru Les Pitures is medium to full-bodied, firm and chalky, with tangy acids and a saline finish. It, too, will merit a bit of patience.

The 2010 Volnay Les Pitures boasts gorgeous textural depth and roundness in its dark red fruit. This is an especially soft, supple style of Volnay that is likely to be approachable relatively early. The old vines give the wine impressive depth and concentration, but there is also enough freshness to allow this to age for a number of years. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. The 2010 harvest at Bitouzet-Prieur started on September 25 for the whites and the 26th for the reds. The domaine lost 35% of its production in 2010, echoing an all-too common theme throughout Burgundy. None of the 2010 reds were chaptalized, and the wines were racked once, just after the malos. New oak levels were slightly higher in 2010 as a reflection of lower overall yields, and range from 25-40%. Some of the 2010 reds were bottled in November 2011. Those wines have been assigned final scores. I tasted all of the other 2010 reds from barrel. The wines, still in barrel at the time of my tastings, were scheduled to be bottled between January and March 2012. I also tasted the 2010 Volnay Caillerets, but it was too reduced to accurately evaluate. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990

The 2010 Bourgogne is an attractive, fleshy red with good depth and fine overall balance for its level. Sweet dark cherries, flowers and licorice wrap around the succulent finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. The 2010 harvest at Bitouzet-Prieur started on September 25 for the whites and the 26th for the reds. The domaine lost 35% of its production in 2010, echoing an all-too common theme throughout Burgundy. None of the 2010 reds were chaptalized, and the wines were racked once, just after the malos. New oak levels were slightly higher in 2010 as a reflection of lower overall yields, and range from 25-40%. Some of the 2010 reds were bottled in November 2011. Those wines have been assigned final scores. I tasted all of the other 2010 reds from barrel. The wines, still in barrel at the time of my tastings, were scheduled to be bottled between January and March 2012. I also tasted the 2010 Volnay Caillerets, but it was too reduced to accurately evaluate.Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990

The 2009 Volnay Les Pitures comes across as big, rich and also a bit obvious. There is no hiding the personality of the vintage in this super-ripe, opulent Volnay. The Pitures boasts tons of concentration and richness, but it doesn’t have the verve or cut of the finest wines here in 2009, nor are the tannins as refined. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990

The healthy, ruby/purple-colored Volnay Pitures has an elegant, tangy, sweet and sour red currant and cherry-infused nose proceeded by a thick and full-bodied personality. This refined, fat, supple, chewy, and super-ripe wine is ample, round, and filled with sweet red fruits. Of all of Bitouzet's offerings, the Pitures is the most tannic. Projected maturity: 2000-2006. Vincent Bitouzet crafted marvelous 1996s, capturing this vintage's succulent fruit. Unlike most vignerons with whom I spoke, Bitouzet reported that his wines' malos took place normally, and were not retarded. He did not heat the cellars or use malo-inducing artificial yeasts, attributing the rapid malo-lactic fermentation to the fact that little sulphur was used during vinification. Importer: Neil Rosenthal, Select Vineyards, Shekomeko, NY; Tel (800) 910-1990.