The 2020 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay Premier Cru Champans is a profound Premier Cru Pinot Noir from one of the most important vineyards in Volnay, Burgundy's Côte de Beaune. Champans lies in the heart of Volnay's Premier Cru slope, below Taillepieds, with an ideal south-east exposure and marl-limestone soils that become deeper and more clay-influenced toward the bottom of the vineyard. Domaine Marquis d'Angerville owns an exceptional 3.98 hectares of Champans - more than one-third of the entire vineyard, making it one of the domaine's most significant holdings. The estate itself is one of the historic reference points of Volnay and has been fully farmed biodynamically following a conversion that began in 2006. Champans is considered an archetypal great Volnay: combining the appellation's famous perfume and finesse with considerably more depth, generosity and power.
The concentrated 2020 vintage produced a particularly serious expression of Champans. Aromatically, it shows black cherry, dark raspberry and red berries alongside violet, orange peel, exotic spice, cocoa, forest floor and subtle black truffle. The palate is medium to full-bodied and concentrated, with energetic fruit wrapped around firm, fine-grained tannins, fresh acidity and a distinctly chalky, saline mineral character. Despite the richness of the vintage, there is impressive precision and balance, with a long and structured finish that clearly needs time to unfold.
