Joseph Drouhin Volnay 2021

Joseph Drouhin is one of Burgundy's larger family estates, founded in Beaune in 1880 and now run by the fourth generation, farming biodynamically. This wine comes from Volnay on the Cote-d'Or, the village in the Cote de Beaune long held to make the most delicate and perfumed of its red wines. The Pinot Noir grows on thin limestone and marl soils over the underlying bedrock, where free-draining, calcareous ground and a cool continental climate give bright acidity, pale colour and a finely structured, aromatic style. Biodynamic farming aims to deepen the link between the vine and this terroir. The wine ages 18 months in oak barrels, a portion of it new, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannins and the wood adds a restrained spice that frames rather than covers the fruit. The colour is bright, light ruby. The nose is lifted and floral, with red cherry, red berries, rose and a savoury, earthy undertone. The palate is medium bodied and silky, with fine, supple tannins, fresh acidity and a long, mineral finish. Serve at 15 to 16 degrees. It suits poultry, game birds and mushroom dishes.