Domaine Jean Vaudoisey, Volnay
Direct from the domaine to us, and from us to your cellar…
On our recent visit to Burgundy we met with a young vigneron in Volnay, Romain Poirrotte, who took over the estate from his grandfather, Jean Vaudoisey, in 2015. Only in his late 20s, Poirrotte is managing Domaine Jean Vaudoisey with the help of his younger brother, Baptiste. Grandpa had always been very good in the vineyards but his wines tended to be more traditional, with an overly firm tannic structure and were never exported to the US.
Romain and Baptiste have continued observing the same degree of detail in the vineyards, while modifying the style – not unusual when a new generation takes over winemaking. Their first vintage was 2015 (what a vintage start with!) though they sold most of their fruit to a negociant in order to invest in a new press and casks. They will continue to sell off some fruit each year so they can fully modernise the operation. Eventually, all 7.5 ha will be released under the domaine label.
Domaine Jean Vaudoisey is not yet 100% organic but very close. Their philosophy is to work meticulously in the vineyards and in the cellar, producing pure and elegant wines that faithfully reflect individual terroir – currently, Bourgogne Rouge, Pommard, Volnay, and a Volnay Premier Cru les Mitans. We tasted the ’15 and ’16 vintages of each and found the quality exceptional, admiring the 2015s for their intensity of flavour & texture, while the 2016s were impressive for their purity & elegance. Their Bourgogne is actually made from declassified Volnay and Pommard, a lot of wine for a Bourgogne price tag – though there is no 2015 left. The Volnay and Pommard village wines taste more like premiers crus. And the Volnay Premier Cru les Mitans comes from a small .2 hectare parcel (usually only five or six barrels produced) – even finer than the villages wines and you will not believe the price…
Already a producer worth buying; they are very young, very talented and will only improve over time, committed to producing great wines – the perfect combination for us.
Remember also that these wines are being bought directly from the producer, which means pricing significantly lower than it would be if they were sold through the traditional three-tier system.