DOMAINE MARQUIS D’ANGERVILLE, 2022 VINTAGE EN PRIMEUR

DOMAINE MARQUIS D’ANGERVILLE 2022 VINTAGE, EN PRIMEUR

“It belongs to the group of very, very good vintages”

GUILLAUME D’ANGERVILLE, ON THE 2022 VINTAGE

November 2023

Adam Brett-Smith and I tasted with Guillaume d’Angerville at the domaine last November. The 2022s are supremely confident wines, in which the richness of the season meets the lacy elegant precision of these great terroirs, accentuating rather than dominating.

We are “back to 2018” in terms of volume, which comes as a relief all round. Guillaume mentioned 2009, 2010 and 2020 as possible comparison vintages, whilst noting that 2022 is richer than 2020, with a touch more fruit. Alcohols average 13–13.5% abv. The eagle-eyed will spot that there is no Pommard this year – it is being replanted.

Guillaume represents the family’s fifth generation, having returned to the domaine in 2003 after a career in banking, following the death of his father, the highly respected Jacques d'Angerville.

Working alongside Guillaume are his brother-in-law, Renaud de Villette, who assisted Jacques d’Angerville for many years and François Duvivier, the domaine’s Régisseur. The domaine began the conversion to biodynamics in 2006, with certification obtained in 2009.

The d’Angerville family’s close involvement with Burgundy beyond the domaine has been continued by Guillaume. He is president of the Climats du vignoble de Bourgogne, which successfully applied for the vineyards of the Côte d’Or to be recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The notes in this offer are from the above-mentioned tasting in November 2023, ahead of Guillaume’s visit to London later this month, in March 2024. This is a domaine at the top of its game. The 2022s are wines of finesse and substance, to rival to some of the greatest I have tasted here.

GUY SEDDON, HEAD OF FINE WINE BUYING March 2024

HISTORY

Domaine Marquis d'Angerville has been owned by the same family for more than two centuries and, over the previous three centuries, by the Dukes of Burgundy and Kings of France.

The first record of the estate, in the village of ‘Vollenay’, was in 1507.

In 1804, Baron du Mesnil acquired the Clos des Ducs and the surrounding plots – Taillepieds, Caillerets and Champans – which, in the 12th century, had formed part of the famous holdings of the Dukes of Burgundy.

In the second half of the 19th century, the estate passed to Baron du Mesnil’s son, Eugène du Mesnil. On his death in 1888, Eugène du Mesnil, without direct heirs, bequeathed it to his nephew and godson, Sem, Marquis d'Angerville, then aged 15.

Sem took possession almost 20 years later, after the phylloxera crisis that ravaged the vineyard at the end of the 19th century. From 1906, the recently renamed Domaine Marquis d’Angerville began to reconstruct its vineyards, replanting them with what are now the prized Pinot d’Angerville clones.

Sem d'Angerville was an early adopter of estate bottling and exports, initially focused on the United States. He was also a founding member of the National Institute of Appellations of Origin, the INAO. When he died in 1952, his son Jacques took over the domaine.

As quality-driven as his father, Jacques d'Angerville expanded the domaine’s reputation and did much to raise the image of Volnay. He held positions on several Burgundian bodies, including as chairman of the BIVB predecessor. He died prematurely in July 2003, leaving behind 52 vintages and a magnificently maintained estate.

Jacques’ son Guillaume d'Angerville took over the domaine in 2003. He is supported by his brother-in-law, Renaud de Villette, who worked alongside Jacques d'Angerville for 15 years, thereby ensuring the family-run continuity of the estate.

THE 2022 VINTAGE, IN THE WORDS OF GUILLAUME D’ANGERVILLE

“There is a sense of harmony in these wines that makes them approachable even as they are not yet bottled…”

GUILLAUME D’ANGERVILLE

November 2023

2022 was the third August harvest in the last 20 years.

Shortly after vinification of the 2021 harvest, we sprayed our 500P biodynamic preparation to prepare the soil for the winter. January started very mild, too mild for comfort, but the rest of the month was much colder, and January turned out to be the coldest month of the 2021-2022 winter. Overall, the winter was in line with historical averages of both temperature and rainfall. However, we saw only a few occurrences of negative temperatures.

It’s as if the cold, continental winters we were used to in Burgundy are gone for good. After a mild February, early March was relatively cold, and the vines were slow to move. However, on 1st March, we noticed that our almond tree was in full bloom, which signalled that budbreak would be around 1st April (a month later). And yes, by late March/early April, temperatures started to rise and budbreak took place around 8th April, a week later than in 2020, but still early. April and May were warm and dry. In fact, in every month of the season (from April to August), temperatures were higher than historical averages, making 2022 the warmest year ever recorded. We sprayed our first 500P (manurebased, for the soil) and 501 (silica, for the vines) biodynamic preparations on 2nd and 20th May respectively.

By late May, flowering was underway, and we estimated mid-point of flowering around 25th May. Considering the shortening of the vegetative cycle, we braced ourselves for another August harvest.

Just as in 2020, June was an odd month out this season, with torrential rainfall in certain parts of the Côte de Nuits. The Côte de Beaune was unaffected but was grateful for some significant rain (circa 150mm), more than twice the historical average. The timely availability of water in June followed by the high temperatures of early July accounts for the rapid development of the vines during that month.

These two months shaped the vintage. July was also exceptionally dry. By mid-July, the 2022 season looked like 2003 and 2011 (we started picking on 25th August and 1st September in these two years, respectively). Mildew pressure was controlled, but oidium was a worry for a little while, between end of June and mid-July.

Véraison (when the grapes turn red), began late July. Like in 2020, the vines did not seem to suffer from the drought and the heat. Biodynamic farming made a significant difference to give the vines energy and resources to be able to resist such ultra-high temperatures and water deficit.

Selecting the correct harvest date required thorough thinking and created a lot of stress as two heatwaves hit, the first at the beginning of August, and the second later in the month. As we analysed the situation and weighed various scenarios of picking dates, we had 2020 in mind.

But 2022 was different: véraison was slow, and natural sugar content was not increasing as quickly as expected, slowed by the high temperatures. We eventually decided to start on 23rd August, four days later than 2020, but two days ahead of 2003, which was our first August harvest since… 1893!

The 2022s have surprised us with their freshness, fluidity, and tension. They show a lovely texture and grip, and they are joyous, long, silky, and persistent. There is a sense of harmony in these wines that makes them approachable, even as they are not yet bottled when we write this report. But the most striking quality of the vintage is that, with the help of biodynamic farming, the vines have shown their ability to produce classic Volnays, despite the hot and dry season. In 2022, the vines continued to adjust well to the new climate conditions, thus preserving acidity, and allowing the specific characteristics of each climat to come out clearly.

THE VINEYARDS

“Historically, the domaine was a late picker. Now, we are among the earliest – biodynamics has made for shorter seasons.”

GUILLAUME D’ANGERVILLE

November 2023

The Marquis d’Angerville Pinot Noir clones are unique, producing particularly small grapes. These make for a high ‘skin to juice ratio’ and so rich tannins, affording the wines a natural substance and presence.

The domaine’s holdings were replanted following phylloxera by Guillaume d’Angerville’s grandfather, Sem, shortly after his arrival at the domaine in 1906.

A century later, in 2006, the domaine began conversion to biodynamic viticulture. It is now wholly biodynamic. In a recent tasting, Guillaume mused, “The wines are more spherical as a result of biodynamics.”

THE VINEYARDS IN NUMBERS:

The domaine has 16.5 hectares (ha) of vines

…or 6% of the total 280ha in Volnay

Of these, 12.9ha are premier cru …which is 12% of Volnay’s total 110ha premier cru vineyards

THE CELLAR

“The 2022s have surprised us with their freshness, fluidity, and tension.”

GUILLAUME

D’ANGERVILLE

November 2023

The grapes are 100% destemmed and transferred to vats. They are cooled before fermentation, which lasts 15-18 days, with a gradual and controlled rise in temperature, reaching a maximum of 30-32°C. Extraction focuses on remontage (pumping over) rather than pigeage (punching down).

Once fermented, the must is gently pressed and the wine descends by gravity into oak barrels, in the cellars directly beneath the cuverie. The maximum proportion of new oak has declined and is now around 20% for the premiers crus.

The wines remain in barrel for around 18 months, with malolactic conversion occurring in spring or early summer following harvest.

Several weeks before bottling, the wines are transferred to tank to blend and settle. Fining and filtration are only used when absolutely necessary and only ever on a small proportion of the wine. The wines are bottled using corks from Trescases.

2022 VINTAGE TASTING NOTES

WHITE WINES

CORNEY & BARROW BOURGOGNE ALIGOTÉ

2022 is the third iteration of this special C&B bottling, which comes from 0.6 hectares of Aligoté vines below the village of Volnay, in Monpoulain. Stony minerality on the nose, with green apple skin and lime zest. The palate is citric and focused, zippy and precise. Bottled in June 2023, following fermentation and ageing in stainless steel. A nice low 12% abv.

Corney & Barrow Score 17.5

Recommended drinking from 2024 - 2026

£175/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK

BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY

The domaine’s Bourgogne Chardonnay comes from vines in Volnay’s clay-rich Grandes Terres. A ‘Volnay Blanc’ if that were permitted… Pliant and expansive, this is a delight in 2022, which opens fleshy and finishes salty and granular. It receives 12 months of ageing in 350 litre barrels and six additional months on its lees in vat, the second winter in the cellar bringing out a little extra richness. Bottled in early 2024.

Corney & Barrow Score 17.5

Recommended drinking from 2023 - 2026

£240/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK

MEURSAULT 1ER CRU SANTENOTS

This is from the lieu-dit Les Plures, the largest section of Santenots, which may be labelled Volnay for Pinot Noir, or Meursault for Chardonnay. The vines here are just over 30 years old. Yellow-hued aromas, with a pâtisserie richness, lead into a palate of taut stone-fruit, which remains admirably crunchy and precise. Bottled in early 2024.

Corney & Barrow Score 17.5

Recommended drinking from 2024 - 2028

£695/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK

BOURGOGNE PINOT NOIR

As for the Bourgogne Chardonnay, the Bourgogne Pinot Noir comes from a plot on the other side of the Route Nationale, called Grandes Terres, opposite Volnay. These are clay-rich soils. Bright, sweet raspberry and crunchy red cherry fruit makes for a pretty, elegant, vibrant wine of panache.

Corney & Barrow Score 17+

Recommended drinking from 2025 - 2029

£240/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK

VOLNAY

The domaine’s village Volnay comes from Les Grands Champs (below Mitans) and Pluchots. The two plots combined cover less than half a hectare. Blackberry and raspberry fruit, with elegant peppery spices and crisp acidity. This is fine and focused, with pretty rose petal aromatics on the finish. No new oak is used here.

Corney & Barrow Score 17+

Recommended drinking from 2027 - 2035

£390/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK

VOLNAY 1ER CRU

This is a blend of two premier cru parcels, the powerful Mitans (0.65ha, of which 0.32ha are being replanted) and the sloping, free-draining Pitures. The nose here is darker and more powerful than the village cuvée. The palate is elegant and crystalline, a big step up with an additional sweetness of red cherry fruit and a sustained, perfumed finish which captures the essence of Volnay.

Corney & Barrow Score 17 - 17.5

Recommended drinking from 2028 - 2035

£450/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK

VOLNAY 1ER CRU CLOS DES ANGLES

Produced since 2008, the triangle-shaped Clos des Angles (hence the name) sits beneath premier cru Frémiet. It is just over a hectare in size, of which half has been replanted and is currently out of action. Silky raspberry and bitter cherry fruit, framed by elegant, lacy tannins, this is “unmistakably Clos des Angles”, as Guillaume says.

Corney & Barrow Score 18

Recommended drinking from 2028 - 2038

£580/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK

VOLNAY 1ER CRU FRÉMIET

Frémiet has just one foot of limestone-rich topsoil over the bedrock – which perhaps explains its intensely mineral nature. It is a mid-slope site, just above Clos des Angles, bordering Pommard. Darker-fruited, peppery and mineral (and more reductive when tasted in November 2023), this is a more substantial style of Volnay, with impressively stark chalky grip.

Corney & Barrow Score 17.5 - 18

Recommended drinking from 2030 - 2042

£660/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK

£230/Case of 1 magnum, in bond UK

VOLNAY 1ER CRU LES CAILLERETS

This is a 0.62 hectare holding in Caillerets Dessus, at the top of the hill. A small, recently purchased plot is currently being replanted. It is the most southerly of the domaine’s vineyards and can have a distinctly mineral aspect. Lifted raspberry and red cherry aromas. The palate is cool and focused, the vibrant red berry fruit framed by filigree tannins and a chalky-mineral skeleton. As Guillaume commented, "Caillerets is as ethereal as it’s ever been."

Corney & Barrow Score 18

Recommended drinking from 2028 - 2042

£760/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK

VOLNAY 1ER CRU TAILLEPIEDS

A high, exposed slope to the south of the village. Taillepieds’ white marl sub-soil brings mineral tension, with 30cm+ of brown earth lending a lightness of touch. As usual, this is darker-fruited and more inscrutable on the nose. Bitter cherry and dark peppery spices. The palate is more accessible, sweetly fruited and rich, with deep, dark berry fruit. As Guillaume has said, Taillepieds is “more like JS Bach” – elegant but reserved, a wine you have to work harder to understand…

Corney & Barrow Score 18+

Recommended drinking from 2028 - 2042

£760/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK

£265/Case of 1 magnum, in bond UK

VOLNAY 1ER CRU CHAMPANS

Marquis d’Angerville is the principal owner of Champans, with four hectares in two plots. This is also the domaine’s largest holding. Whilst the soils at the top resemble the mineral-rich Caillerets, the bottom is deeper and more ferrous, making for a riper style. Joyful and red berried, Champans is a charmer in 2022, displaying the archetypal Volnay perfume and weightless volume. This is a benchmark Volnay for Guillaume.

Corney & Barrow Score 18.5

Recommended drinking from 2028 - 2037+

£760/Case of 6 bottles, in bond UK

£265/Case of 1 magnum, in bond UK

VOLNAY 1ER CRU CLOS DES DUCS

The 2.15 hectare monopole Clos des Ducs stretches away from the domaine buildings on a steep south-tosoutheast-facing slope. This is a warm site thanks to its reflective white marl soils, with underground springs providing water. Violet, peony and rose aromas, with crystallised blueberries – a delicate and intricate nose. The palate is open and pure, offering a plethora of flavours: raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, roses, Turkish delight and orange zest, all framed by fine, chalky tannins. What a wine!

Corney & Barrow Score 19

Recommended drinking from 2030 - 2045

£730/Case of 3 bottles, in bond UK

£510/Case of 1 magnum, in bond UK

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