It’s the best young vintage of Voillot wines that any of us here at Vintage ’59 Imports has ever tasted. And that’s no lie, no smoke. It’s at least as good–and probably better–as 2010 and 2002, which previously had been the two best vintages from Volnay/Pommard in my experience.
The two Village wines are the best I’ve ever had, especially the Pommard VV, which is on a whole different level from previous efforts. The 1ers are all top, but for what it’s worth, for me, it was Champans, Epenots, and Rugiens at the very top. Meursault Les Cras is killer too. It is unusually fresh and lifted.
I had Etienne Chaix of Domaine Joseph Voillot on the phone to talk about the vintage. Specifically, for Les Cras (but this no doubt applies to the reds too), he suggested that the wine may be a bit more lifted and energetic because they got a new, pneumatic press in time for the ’19 harvest. Previously, they had been using a mechanical press. Mother Nature, plus a little lighter touch, and voilà, you’ve got a vintage you can go to the bank with.
It’s really great that Etienne got a nod from the gods with this, his first vintage since taking over from JP Charlot.
Roy Cloud
Vintage ’59 Imports