The Sublime 2010 Vintage from the Domaine Joseph Voillot

Just some of the tools and gizmos that Jean-Pierre uses to craft his magical wines

The Producer

Drive up into the village of Volnay through the vines and one is confronted by a solid-looking church. On one’s left is a car-park shaded by lime trees and slightly elevated: a good belevedere from which to gaze back downslope over a strip of premier cru vineyards.

On the other side of the road is to be found the Domaine Joseph Voillot where, since 1995, Joseph Voillot’s son-in-law Jean-Pierre Charlot has continued to make exceptionally fine Côte–de-Beaune wines.

Jean-Pierre is a bourguinon of the old school. He is more-or-less a workaholic. Ask him about holidays and he will confess that he doesn’t see the point in them. For Jean-Pierre a holiday would entail sitting on a beach/by a pool/other thinking about work. He would rather spend his time surrounded by his vines, vats and barrels.

And it cannot be over-stated in what regard he is held by many, many local producers for whom Jean-Pierre has dropped whatever he’s doing (be that soundly sleeping in the middle of the night) to come to their assistance. The man is utterly unflashy and entirely unwilling to go out of his way to promote his wines. These he allows to speak for themselves.

The first time Bowes Wine visited this domaine Jean-Pierre received both Victoria and myself and, following a fabulous tasting of the new vintage, the maestro asked Victoria’s year of birth and, perhaps more reluctantly, mine (whether this was because I am clearly older than Victoria, or whether his generosity is keener where the fairer sex is concerned, I know not!). He duly disappeared into his cellar and returned with mould encrusted bottles: a 1972 Volnay 1er Cru les Champans and a 1966 Pommard 1er Cru les Rugiens. Both were utterly beguiling. We departed the domaine clutching both bottles and finished them off with a steak at Le Régalade, a fine establishment on the outskirts of Beaune now, sadly, closed for business.

“If it sets you salivating to imagine the brightness, transparency and cut of Riesling in the medium of Pinot Noir…then do not miss this address!” David Schildknecht on erobertparker.com

Keywords for the Voillot style: Elegance; purity

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price IB	Notes	Order
2010	Pommard, Joseph Voillot, Burgundy, France	2015-2022	12x75cl	£234.00
2010	Volnay 1er Cru les Champans, Joseph Voillot, Burgundy, France	2016-2024	12x75cl	£366.00
2010	Pommard 1er Cru les Pezerolles, Joseph Voillot, Burgundy, France	2018-2026	6x75cl	£219.00
2010	Pommard 1er Cru les Rugiens, Joseph Voillot, Burgundy, France	2017-2025	6x75cl	£219.00
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