2016 Domaine Pousse d'Or Volnay Clos d'Audignac 1er Cru

(from 10- and 25-year-old vines in front of Landanger's house): Bright ruby-red. Aromas of black raspberry and smoky torrefaction. Sweeter and more pliant than the preceding samples, with the wine's purple fruit flavors joined on the suavely tannic back end by notes of licorice and herbs. This is almost soft in the context of this 2016 collection.

The 2016 Volnay 1er Cru Clos d'Audignac offers one of the most powerful bouquets among La Pousse d'Or's range of '16s, with showy black cherries, blueberry and light licorice scents, quite rich and extravagant. The palate is brisk and quite taut on the entry and seems to have other ideas. This is more introverted and linear, more black fruit than red with a slightly grainy finish. Moderate length here. Fine, but again, I would like to see more charm develop once in bottle.