Clos de la Chapelle Volnay 1er Cru 2022 (750ML)

89-92 BH / 89-91 JM

Note: from a parcel of .21 ha young vines in Taillepieds
Producer note: Mark O'Connell, owner and winemaker of this 5 ha domaine, described 2022 as "a vintage of excitement and relief. Excitement because the quality of the wines was evident from the first day of picking. And relief because after three years of small crops, we finally had some wine for our customers. 2022 saw the Domaine add an additional hectare of vines, which contributed to the full cellar. The year started with a January colder than recent years, but February warmed up. The change in our pruning regimen meant that bud burst was delayed by as much as a week so the frost pressure in the first half of April had negligible effect. Flowering occurred during the last week of May under warm, dry conditions. June brought rain, about 125mm in most our vineyards, which the vines conserved in a manner that foresaw the dry and hot months of July and August. Picking began on August 25th and was completed by the 31st. The reds came in with potential alcohols between 12.5 and 13.0% with pH's between 3.25 and 3.45. The whites had similar alcohols and though with lower pHs of between 3.2 and 3.3. The fruit was clean and beautiful, with the bunches themselves the largest we have seen and thus yields came in between 40 to 45 hl/ha. The fermentations went smoothly with most of the cuvaisons lasting almost nearly 21 days with very good temperatures and excellent extraction. By contrast, the malos for the whites were very quick to finish but the reds were highly variable, with the Volnay 1er cru Taillepieds not finishing until the summer. In the end, we are thrilled with these wines from top to bottom. The reds remind me of a blend of 1985 and 1999 and the whites I think will be like 1990." O'Connell noted that the reds would be bottled both unfined and unfiltered. As the scores and comments confirm, there are some excellent wines here in 2022.
Tasting note: A riper nose is comprised by notes of poached plum, black pinot fruit liqueur and a whiff of kirsch. The rich, punchy and surprisingly dense medium-bodied flavors, particularly for such young vines, culminate in a sappy but overtly austere finish where bitter pit fruit character is prominent.—Allen Meadows, Burghound

The young vines of Taillepieds, not ready to go into the main wine. In future years there will be other young vines from different 1ers Crus. A rich heady purple, with an inky note to the nose. Almost over the top though the structure just about keeps it in balance. The youth of the vines shows in the lack of hinterland. Nonetheless this has some of the Taillepieds limestone character. Drink from 2028-2033. Tasted Oct 2023.—Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy