The 2021 Armand Heitz Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds is a serious and mineral-driven Premier Cru Pinot Noir from one of the most highly regarded vineyards in Volnay, Burgundy's Côte de Beaune. Taillepieds sits high on the slope above Champans, on some of the steeper terrain in Volnay, where shallow soils over hard Jurassic limestone create a distinctly structured expression of the appellation. Armand Heitz works approximately 0.37 hectares here, with limestone marl, silt and abundant stones contributing to the vineyard's characteristic tension and minerality. Rather than the soft and immediately seductive style often associated with Volnay, Taillepieds is traditionally more powerful, linear and age-worthy - a vineyard where stone, structure and salinity are as important as perfume.
Made from 100% Pinot Noir with whole-bunch fermentation, the 2021 was matured in barrel for approximately 12 months. The cool and low-yielding 2021 Burgundy vintage suits this terroir particularly well, producing a wine of precision rather than excess ripeness. Aromatically, it shows red cherry, raspberry and plum alongside rose petal, violet and subtle spice. The palate is medium-bodied but impressively intense, with concentrated red fruit surrounded by fine-grained tannins, vibrant acidity and pronounced limestone minerality. The finish is long, focused and saline, with a youthful austerity that clearly indicates the wine needs time.
