Powerful and muscular, the 2020 Volnay Vieilles Vignes is richer than the ethereal Clos de la Cave, offering up aromas of sweet cherries, plum compote, licorice and spices. Full-bodied, layered and enveloping, it's broad shouldered and fleshy, with lively acids and a long, expansive finish.

Deeper pitched than the more ethereal Clos de la Cave, Bouley's 2019 Volnay Vieilles Vignes exhibits aromas of plums and dark berries mingled with raw cocoa and sweet spices. It's medium to full-bodied, deep and velvety, and it's denser and richer than the other communal appellations in the cellar, with an elegantly muscular profile and a long, resonant finish.

By contrast with the Clos de la Cave, Bouley's 2018 Volnay Vieilles Vignes is richer and more muscular, delivering aromas of smoky plums, rich soil tones, licorice and cassis. Medium to full-bodied, layered and textural, it's fleshy and broad-shouldered, with an enveloping attack but plenty of tannic structure, too. As I noted last year, this derives from vines that see all-day sun and little in the way of breeze, located below premier cru Carelles.

Immediately richer and deeper-pitched, Bouley's 2017 Volnay Vieilles Vignes unfurls in the glass with aromas of sweet cherries, berries, dark chocolate and plums. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and textural, this is a deep and seamless Volnay that has gained in dimension with élevage.

The 2016 Volnay Vieilles Vignes spent 12 months in oak before transferring into vat. It has a tightly controlled, slightly introspective bouquet at first, gradually opening to reveal blackberry, raspberry and light oyster shell aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, full of energy and tension with real precision toward the vivid and quite compelling finish. There is real terroir expression here, and it should age well over the next 10 to 16 years.