2022 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Champans, Volnay Premier Cru, France 750ml

This monumental wine is, as always, a reference for the appellation. In 2022, there is a lovely density of plum and blackberry fruit with spice and earth notes. The texture is plump, velvety and long, with supple tannins supporting the wine without adding astringency. D'Angerville destems and gave the grapes a cold soak before fermentation on native yeasts and ageing in cask (mainly used) to preserve the limpid purity of the fruit. Give this wine five years before opening, and it should continue to improve for at least 30 years beyond that. (CC)

A restrained and intensely floral-suffused nose is reticent to the point of being brooding and only grudgingly provides glimpses of fresh dark berries and spice whiffs. The precise, highly energetic and super-fine middleweight flavors also exude evident minerality on the moderately austere and equally long finale. I almost always prefer the d'Angerville Taillepieds to their Champans but that could well change in 2022 as this is outstanding.