Volnay 1er Cru "Les Brouillards" - 2017 - Lucien Boillot

Pinot Noir from 36-year-old vines planted on a soil of brown limestone with quite a bit of pebbles. This parcel of just 34 ares is located below the village of Volnay near the Premier cru vineyard site "Les Angles". The grapes are harvested at full maturity, 100% destemmed, followed by prefermentary maceration of 3 days, alcoholic fermentation for 18 days thanks to indigenous yeasts, one or two cap punch-downs a day, and finally maturation in oak barrels for 18 months with 30% new oak. The wines are neither filtered nor fined.
Lucien Boillot... One of Burgundy’s greatest names, though many wine lovers in France have never heard of him, since 85% of his bottles are exported! Yet it’s certainly a name to remember… Lucien Boillot represents the sixth generation of a viticultural family, originally from Volnay. It was in 1950 that the vigneron decided to settle in the middle of Gevrey-Chambertin, where he begin acquiring vines, including many on prestigious Premier Cru terroirs. The estate would really take off in the 1980s with the acquisition of parcels spread across the greater part of the appellations of the Côte de Beaune, thanks for the most part to donations from his father. Ever since, the Boillot name has stood for exceptional terroirs and exceptional wines, from both of the famous côtes, and from the most legendary climats ­­– Pommard, Puligny-Montrachet, Nuits Saint Georges... Today, Pierre Boillot has succeeded his father Lucien at the head of this great estate, carrying forth Lucien’s dictum that “a great wine is something liberated”. An estate to (re)discover and above all to keep close eye on, because as you’ve doubtless surmised – their cuvées are rare indeed!