2015 Volnay Clos des Chenes

The 2015 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru has a more complex, you could say more enigmatic bouquet than the Charmes-Chambertin, darker fruit with touches of seaweed and iodine, with aeration more floral scents such as crushed violet. It feels mercurial in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a touch of dried fig and Asian spice infusing the red berry fruit. What I appreciate is the structure and especially the precision towards the finish. This is classy.

(vinified with 50% whole clusters; one of the two barrels was new until the racking after the malolactic fermentation): Bright medium red. Reticent nose offers scents of medicinal dark cherry and dark chocolate, plus a suggestion of sweet oak. Dark fruit flavors are accompanied by exotic liqueur and chocolate notes. A rather serious style of Volnay, less red fruity and floral in character than most of the foregoing samples if a touch rustic in the early going. Already boasts very good palate presence but this will not be an early drinker.

The 2015 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes has an understated bouquet with blackberry, raspberry and cold stone aromas, more introspective than the Clos de la Barre, yet detailed. The palate is medium-bodied with supple red cherry and strawberry fruit, quite forward and generous; here, the new oak showing just a little obviously towards the finish (there is one new barrel and one used - my staple was actually from the one-year-old barrel). I am sure that will enmesh with 3-4 years requisite bottle age.