Vinelights
Graceful Power in a Glass. Premier Cru. Hospices Legacy.
A ruby jewel glimmering with layers of red cherry, wild strawberry, and rose petals. Volnay’s silky finesse is on full display, with hints of violet and that telltale brioche note that hints at its time in new French oak. The palate is both lively and elegant, with finely woven tannins and a mouth-coating freshness that lingers. Each sip is a snapshot of Volnay’s most beautiful slopes. Refined yet expressive, bright yet grounded. A wine that opens up with time, rewarding patience with layers of complexity and charm.
📍 The Plot
Sitting proudly on the Eastern/South-Eastern edge of the Côte de Beaune, Les Santenots du Milieu and Les Plures provide the perfect stage for this cuvée. The soils here are a dream for Pinot Noir: soft limestone mixed with aerated, pebbly earth, bringing minerality and tension to the fruit. This land was gifted to the Hospices de Beaune back in 1804 by M. Bernard Gauvain, a gesture of legacy that lives on in every bottle. Planted on soft, welcoming slopes, the vines are hand-harvested and meticulously sorted, capturing the essence of Volnay’s most coveted terroir.
🍇 Technical
The grapes are 100% destemmed and spend 22 days in stainless steel tanks, with regular pigeages and pump-overs to ensure gentle extraction. Aged for 17 months in 100% new French oak, the wine emerges with a perfect blend of fruit purity and oak-spiced complexity. Bottling is done with only light filtration to maintain its vibrant structure, ready to shine after 3–4 years or hold gracefully for a decade.
