2011 Volnay "Clos de la Chapelle" (Monopole): As I noted last year, the Clos de la Chapelle lies right next door to the Clos de la Bousse d'Or in the center of Volnay. At one point it was part of the Clos de la Bousse d'Or, but sometime back in the eighteenth or early nineteenth centuries, the wall that separates it from the Clos de la Bousse d'Or was built, and it was already a separate vineyard by the time Louis Boillot purchased it in 1865. The 2011 is a superb follow-up to the stellar 2010 version, wafting from the glass in a cool and reserved, but quite complex aromatic constellation of red and black cherries, a hint of red currant, gamebird, coffee, woodsmoke excellent soil tones, fresh herbs and cedar. On the palate, the wine is deep, fullish and intensely flavored, with a lovely core of fruit, excellent focus and balance, fine-grained tannins, and lovely length and grip on the soil-driven and very classy finish. This is a beautiful wine in the making. 2019-2045. Score: 92+.
2011 Pommard "Chanlins" Vieilles Vignes: The domaine's eighty-plus year-old vines in Chanlins have produced a stellar example of the 2011 vintage, as the wine offers up a superb bouquet of cherries, quince, woodsmoke, lovely minerality, cocoa, herb tones and just a touch of new oak. On the palate, the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and very elegant (particularly for young Pommard), with a very good core of fruit, fine focus, ripe and suave tannins and great transparency on the long and youthful finish. Chanlins seems to often produce one of the most elegant examples of Pommard, and this is certainly in evidence in the lovely 2011 from Domaine Clos de la Chapelle. 2020-2050. Score: 92+.