Domaine Marquis d'Angerville, Champans Premier Cru Volnay 2017, [Pre-Arrival]

96 points Decanter
"The 300-metre rows in the domaine's 4ha of Champans run from the top to the bottom of the slope, taking in both brown and red soils. The result is a very complete, self-assured expression of the premier cru, showing the focus and delicacy of a classic Volnay. Silly, sweet and shimmering on the palate, it has very good depth and the concentration to age Drinking Window 2025 - 2032."

94 points Vinous
"The 2017 Volnay Les Champans 1er Cru is tasted from two barrels. It demonstrates wonderful grace and precision with mineral-infused cranberry and wild strawberry fruit. There is a sense of vitality and sophistication here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin. The oak is beautifully integrated, notes of orange rind and even just a subtle touch of honey towards the relatively powerful and sustained finish that just feels audacious. Wonderful."

94 points Burghound
"(from a huge 3.98 ha parcel). Once again there is a highly appealing freshness to the essence of red cherry, raspberry and floral elements, the latter of which is reflected by the sleek and relatively refined medium-bodied flavors that possess excellent punch on the beautifully persistent though markedly structured finish. This isn’t as refined as the Caillerets but there is slightly better mid-palate density."

Jancis Robinson
"Tank sample of final blend. 
Firm reddish garnet. Big and bold on the nose – almost brash! Masses of fruit, and brawn. Positively sprawling in contrast to its tight-knit stablemates – mouth filling. Massive intensity, and precision again. Polished tannins and chewy chalky finish. Pretty impressive with a green-apple note on the end. 18/20 points."

Vinous Reverie Notes
Winery: A few kilometres south of Beaune, Volnay is one of the most beautiful villages on the coast, surrounded by vineyards and nestled between two hills facing east and south. Volnay is small in size – only 200 hectares planted in the Volnay appellation, including 110 hectares in Volnay Premier Cru – but large in its wines and its winemakers. The Climats of Volnay are world-renowned: Clos des Ducs, Taillepieds, Clos des Chênes, Champans, Caillerets… And throughout history in Volnay, great winemakers have been able to extract the quintessence of its terroirs, reveal the elegance of its wines, establish its reputation and thus pass on, from generation to generation, the pride of being from Volnay. Domaine Marquis d'Angerville, owner of Clos des Ducs, Monopole, in Volnay, has been in our family for over 200 years. Guillaume d'Angerville is the sixth generation of this same family. Domaine Marquis d'Angerville has the privilege of cultivating 11.5 hectares of Volnay Premier Cru. Domaine Marquis d'Angerville owns 3.98 hectares in the Champans appellation, located just north of the Caillerets appellation. Two parallel parcels make up our share of the appellation (11 hectares in total). They extend up and down the Champans climat and the hillside, taking advantage of all the characteristics of this remarkable south-east facing terroir, located in the centre of the Volnay Premiers Crus. The soil is poorer and rests on a rocky limestone bank at the top of the hillside while the slope diminishes towards the bottom and it becomes more clayey, stony and deeper. Historically classified as a Têtes de Cuvée de Volnay, Champans is the archetype of the great Volnay 1er cru: finesse, breadth and length in the mouth with an extra generosity and power that is unique to it. Depending on the vintage, it deserves 5 to 10 years of aging to fully reveal itself, but it is generally more easily approachable young than Taillepieds or Clos des Ducs.