Volnay-Santenots Premier Cru AOC 2016

The Premier Cru site Volnay Santenots is fully located in the commune of Meursault, but is still counted as part of Volnay, as Meursault is a pure white wine commune. This plot in "Les Santenots" is located in the lower part of the village near Volnay. It is pretty much in the middle of Santenots-Dessous and consists of two plots with 60 and 40 year old vines. The soil is rich with a high clay content.

Maceration for 21 days with 90% whole grapes and daily pumping over and racking once or twice during fermentation. This is followed by malolactic fermentation and subsequent ageing in barriques with a new oak content of 35%. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur addition.

Transparent, medium-bodied ruby red.

In its youthful stage, the 2018 Les Santenots from Domaine Rougeot Pére & Fils is silent, so off to the decanter, preferably upside down. With increasing aeration, it shows tentative earthy and spicy notes before the fruit flashes almost shyly underneath. Some undergrowth, sandalwood and autumn leaves are accompanied by allspice, clove and slightly smoky wood spice, until the cherry makes itself heard from the depths of the wine.

With a distinctive spiciness, it reveals itself on the palate with youthful, fleshy tannins and a bacon-smoky note. The tannins line the palate as if with low pile linings, tightly woven and densely structured. The acidity arch stretches from the start to the finish and attests to its nonchalant understatement, which is reminiscent of the upper-class country gentry. Illuminated in bright cherry red, everything here is in proportion, without fault or blame. Noblesse oblige.