The 2019 Volnay Village offers up aromas of sweet red berries and peonies. Medium-bodied, it's bright and lively, with tangy acids and powdery tannins that assert themselves on the finish. A little time, however, should mitigate its slight youthful asperity.

The 2010 Volnay is a gorgeous wine at this level. Layers of dark red fruit, crushed rocks and flowers flow gracefully in this textured, deep Volnay villages. The depth of the fruit is quite striking. A polished, energetic finish rounds things out in style. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022. 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 is beginning to show the very earliest signs of aromatic development, yet maintains gorgeous focus and clarity from start to finish. Hints of sweet tobacco, spices and licorice add complexity to the generous fruit in this pretty entry-level Volnay. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990

The ruby-colored 1999 Volnay displays sweet plum and candied grape aromas. This medium-bodied, expansive, fruit-packed wine is softly textured and delightfully fruity. It displays loads of sweet cherries, grape jelly, and overripe plums. Drink it over the next 3-4 years. Importer: Neal Rosenthal Wine Merchant, New York, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990.

The ruby/purple-colored Volnay offers jammy red cherry aromas and a thick, medium-to-full-bodied, oily-textured, and chewy character packed with cherries and candied raspberries. This soft and straightforward wine will offer generously fruity and immensely pleasurable drinking. Anticipated maturity: now-2001. 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.