Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur Volnay Les Taillepieds 1er Cru 2019

This is probably the most complex and aging-worthy wine in the cellar. It's very tight in its youth, with small floral notes popping through a muted nose before some stony minerals. The palate is densely structured with tightly packed, stony tannins with a touch of oak and some tasty red fruits. It takes time to open up, but will reward patience.

François is keen to highlight the importance of the solidarity shown by the Côte Vignerons at the end of April when everyone came together to burn wet straw bales and create a cloud cover to stave off the frost. Without such action, it could well have been another disastrous outcome. Having avoided this threat, the rest of the season was fairly straightforward with careful vineyard management and harvest began on August 30th.