Volnay 1er cru Santenots du milieu

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

A ruby robe. A nose of a red fruit compote, dominated by cherries and redcurrants, but with a hint of blackberry and red plum all the same. Eucalyptus leaf and fresh bay leaf make up the herbaceous component; the spices found are cinnamon, turmeric and a hint of nutmeg; all rounded off with the gentle sweetness of brown sugar and raspberry jam. When given time to breathe, flowers – roses and carnations and a touch of jasmine – appear; the whole is very airy, soft and delicate.
On the palate, this compote of red fruit reappears, mixed with red plum; more surprising are the notes of Reine Claude pear, quince and apricot jelly. So where could the alcohol be hiding – it’s almost undetectable! The maturation is just as discreet; you could almost believe that this wine – 100% barrel-matured – was actually matured in vats; and finally, having tried to detect them with deep retro-nasal olfaction, the tannins show up in a manner of speaking, but only at the very, very end of the finish, high up on the back of the jaw, fully ripe. So, what will become of these wines? Should we drink them? Will they close up? It would take a wise person to say for sure! From the delicate character of the nose to the lovely silky character of the palate in response, this Santenots cannot be beaten. The finish creates a feeling of well-being; the wine goes down nicely, without pressure, without violence; it is present, and it is lasting.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

The Santenots and Caillerets do not respond to the considerable pressure offered by all the red wines up to now with even more power, concentration or density, but rather with finesse, sophistication and supreme elegance. A magnificent body, a nose with notes of smoke mixed with those of mint, fresh bay leaf and eucalyptus. Then we have flowers, peony, then marked notes of black and purple roses, open and fragrant, in comes the fruit, in several layers, from a raspberry coulis to strawberries, then wild strawberries finally, the prerogative of great wines, precious woods between sandalwood and rosewood. In the palate, a very nice juice full of fruit with supple tannins, it looks easy with such an idyllic maturity, raspberry and cherry but also the freshness and exciting acidity of the redcurrant, let’s add a subtle note of blackcurrant and another of mocha coffee. The fruit-laden finish is also full of the expression of the soil, it is very long, very precise, profoundly complete and resolutely refined.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

A modicum of reduction on the nose, it will need decanting half an hour before if you want to drink it. Leather, plum, a very ripe Burlat cherry, peony, close to the fragrance of the Pommard, more Rugiens than Santenots, surprising in view of the smoothness of the vintage’s reds. Mocha coffee, cooked tarragon, cherry, then we get the Santenots raspberry, strawberry. The mouth, as supple and elastic as can be, invites you to take a sip, surely one of the most affordable young vintages of the last twenty years, almost as welcoming as the 2000, but without any dilution. The persistence of the fruit is seductive, the overall impression is charming, soft, gentle. A Santenots as pretty as it is sweet.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

Poetic nose ……………  What does that mean? It means that the aroma of this wine is dream-like, red and black fruits, flowers-peony, red fruit jelly, carnations, blond tobacco, precious wood, mahogany and rosewood, smoke, sophisticated pastry, good chocolate, sweet spices, cinnamon, brown sugar, Gugelhupf, subtle hint of ras-el-hanout. So is it poetic or prosaic?
Mouth with beautiful refined fruit, cherry, blackberry and gooseberry, multi layer complexity, as straight as it is precise, very elegant body.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

It took a long time to get a proper harvest of Santenots, and once again, it’s nothing to write home about.  They were picked on the 2^nd of September. A sensual nose with considerable fruitiness, blackberry, raspberry but also mocha coffee, leather and warm tart with brown fruits. Predominantly prune, slightly fig-like on the palate, with quince, a heavy substance resulting from the seemingly mandatory cellaring. The finish has a great longevity, but beyond that, be reasonable and forget about it for seven to eight years.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

A luminous nose, very good fruitiness with raspberry, Morello cherry, complex chocolate, an overtone of soot and smoke, flowers, red roses and other roses, like a Pomerol but crisper, ploughed ground, peony, the fruit becomes more and more expressive as the tasting advances. The wine is lively and expressive in one’s mouth, with superb tannins, extracted with great skill, to obtain wine which is completely elastic. The finish is tense and straight, almost rigorous, a Santenots which is somewhat evocative of a Pommard Rugiens. As to persistence, notes of Souchong tea and of eucalyptus, and of cocoa powder.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

Nose of fruit compote, raspberry, peony, fertile soil, raspberry yogurt, a smoky note, red fruit tart, tobacco-cigarillo. Fine on the palate, delicate fruit, fruit pit, red currant, Chambolle-like, higher on the slope, this typically sunny Santenot resembles Hameau de Blagny in 2013. Upright on the finish, fine tannins, with both mineral precision and measured austerity.

Super robe. Incredible charm on the sensual nose, raspberry, mille-feuille pastries, raspberry biscuits, powdered sugar, red rose, peony, white flowers, delicate, feminine, refined. Palate of cherry, melted chocolate, condensed milk, both thick and supple, concentrated and fresh, intense finish, dense, almost solid, one eats as much as drinks this wine, but without any heaviness. Very long persistence, a real success.

Le Santenots is a great success, with an impressive complexity.  A fruit monster, more candied than Caillerets, soot, blood, earth, truffle, elderflower, peony, sensual, carnal.  Palate of red fruit jelly, raspberry and redcurrant, expressive acidity that unveils notes of pomegranate, cherry, fruit pit, lots of energy and a permanent tug-of-war between fruit and acid, one enrobes the other, the other making the first one sing.  The finish is much more intense than expected, the fruit never leaves you, the tannins are perfectly ripe.

Depth and majesty, Cohiba cigar, rosewood, cigar box.  Raspberry, red fruit extract, red fruit tart straight from the oven, Kouglof bundt cake, Virginia tobacco, currant jelly.  Tannins are imperceptible by their ripeness, one is then surprised by the finish, taken over, its decidedly endless, we are very close to Grand Cru status if not already there, an extraordinary wine.  96.  The best Santenots to date.

With depth but especially with freshness.  Fine chocolate and raspberry sauce, sensual, lots of harmony.  The palette is as fresh as the nose, fruit pit, cherry, fresh bay leaf, complex plant life, leafy, lively and expressive.  The finish is direct, racy, plentiful and energetic, a big success.

Serious black cherry nose, earth and pipe tobacco, more linear than usual, peony, raspberry, bark, a Santenots that seriously looks sideways toward Pommard, Burgundy truffle, undergrowth and eucalyptus.  The palette is fruit, energy, juice, quetsch plum, fruit pit, raspberry, with strength, the wine is nourishing and sappy, finishes tense, loaded with contained life and energy, very great length and very great structure which means a great ageing potential.

The VOLNAY SANTENOTS speaks of roses, of peonies, of subtle pastries, of raspberry mixed with other red fruits.  The wine is svelte, classy; the palette is supple with a delicate volume and lightness, it advances toward a very persistent finish.