Volnay

Overview

Volnay produces the finest and most elegant Pinot Noirs of the Côte de Beaune. The wines are lighter in color and body than Pommard (its neighbor to the north), leaning toward red fruit, violet, and delicate spice with silky tannins. Volnay is often described as the Chambolle-Musigny of the Côte de Beaune. There are no grand crus, but the premier cru vineyard Clos des Ducs is a monopole of the Marquis d’Angerville and widely considered grand cru quality; Champans and Caillerets are other benchmarks.

Key Producers

• Domaine Michel Lafarge
• Domaine Thierry Glantenay
• Domaine Joseph Voillot
• Domaine Marquis d’Angerville — benchmark estate; Clos des Ducs monopole; 131 btls in cellar
• Domaine Henri Boillot
• Thomas Bouley
• Domaine Pierrick Bouley — Clos des Chênes 93 (Burghound)

Premier Crus (highlights)

• Clos des Ducs — Marquis d’Angerville monopole; benchmark
• Champans — powerful, long-aging
• Caillerets — elegant, floral
• Clos des Chênes — rich, structured
• Santenots — actually in Meursault but sold as Volnay premier cru

Style Notes

Red cherry, strawberry, violet, and a distinctive Volnay “silkiness.” More approachable young than Pommard but also ages beautifully. Key point from Gilman: Etienne Chaix of Domaine Joseph Voillot noted that at flowering in 2024, both cold and wet weather cut yields — later flowering for aligoté and pinot noir than for chardonnay meant reds were hit harder.

Vintage Notes

• 2024: Gilman visited Lafarge, Glantenay, and Voillot. Yields down but quality excellent across the board.

My Cellar

232 bottles across 8 producers

• Domaine Marquis d’Angerville — 129 btls (2008–2022)
• Thomas Bouley — 41 btls (2013–2023)
• Domaine Henri Boillot — 31 btls (2017–2024)
• Domaine Louis Boillot et Fils — 15 btls (2010–2022)
• Domaine François Buffet — 7 btls (2020–2021)
• Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur — 4 btls (2005–2019)
• Pierrick Bouley — 3 btls (2022–2023)
• Benoit Moreau — 2 btls (2022)

My Tastings

Sources

• sources/articles/VFTC/VFTC Jan-Feb 2026 #121.pdf