2016 Volnay Clos du Verseuil

The 2016 Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Verseuil is the most harmonious and integrated of Clerget's 2016s at this early stage, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet wild berries, dried flowers, raw cocoa and spice. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, velvety and elegant, with good concentration and depth at the core, fine structuring tannins and a succulent core of fruit. It exemplifies the stereotypical charm of Volnay.

Cask sample. More floral fragrance than their Santenots, with finer tannic feel and more red cherry-fruit aromas. A great exercise in terroir, with significant length. (RH)

The 2016 Volnay Clos de Verseuil 1er Cru is bright, forward and punchy, yet also has more than enough fruit to fill out its frame. Sweet, perfume notes give the finish lift and aromatic expansiveness. The tannins will need a few years to soften, but all the elements are in the right place to allow that to happen. Clos de Verseuil is the one parcel among Clerget's holdings that escaped damage from frost. - Antonio Galloni