Arnaud Baillot Volnay 2021

Arnaud Baillot is a négociant and grower in Burgundy, and this wine comes from Volnay in the Côte de Beaune. Volnay sits on thin clay and limestone soils over a fractured marl bedrock, which restricts vine vigour and gives Pinot Noir its lighter frame and perfumed lift rather than sheer power. A continental climate with cool nights preserves acidity and the grape's red-fruit aromatics. Fermentation runs on indigenous yeasts before the wine spends time in French oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannins and rounds the mid-palate without masking the fruit. Malolactic conversion lowers the sharper malic acid and adds a supple, silky feel that characterises Volnay. The colour is a bright medium ruby. The nose carries fresh cherry, red currant and a violet, rose-petal note over a savoury earthiness. On the palate it is medium bodied with fine tannins, ripe red fruit and a mineral, slightly stony finish framed by gentle oak spice. Serve at 15 to 16 degrees, ideally decanted briefly. It suits roast duck, guinea fowl and dishes built around mushrooms.