Volnay Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur 2020

Description

The marriage of Vincent Bitouzet and Anne Prieur created this domaine with a stellar range of vineyards across Volnay and Meursault. There are holdings in almost all the prime sites: Taillepieds, Caillerets and Clos des Chênes in Volnay and Charmes and Perrières in Meursault, among others. It’s their only son, François, who has inherited this wonderful range. Viticulture and winemaking are sensitively handled: there have been no herbicides across the domaine since 1993, and organic viticulture is practised though not certified. Until now, François had to juggle his workload between cellars in Meursault for the white wines, and the lovely family home in Volnay for the reds. From the 2019 vintage, he has a brand spanking new winery on the outskirts of Meursault, with a customised cuverie, and temperature- and humidity-controlled maturation cellars all under one roof. Without doubt, these developments will further empower François and add even greater precision to an already impressive range.

The 2020 Volnay Village has a backward nose at first, opening with touches of black pepper and sous-bois, just a tiny bit of reduction. The palate is mediumbodied with a lightly spiced opening, quite fleshy on the mid-palate with strawberry, raspberry and a pinch of white pepper on the finish. Fine, probably early drinking. Neal Martin, Vinous.