d'Angerville Volnay Fremiet 1er Cru 2016 (750ML)

92-94 VM / 92+ WA / 91-93 BH

Bright ruby. Blackberry, licorice and violet on the perfumed nose. Fine-grained and suave, but with terrific inner-mouth floral lift giving the middle palate a sense of energy. The wine's finishing sweetness is leavened by saline minerality and noteworthy grip. Really spreads out to saturate the mouth; an outstanding example of this premier cru. Stephen Tanzer

The 2016 Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets is also showing very well, wafting from the glass with a lovely bouquet of dark berries, raw cocoa, orange rind, forest floor and dried flowers. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, having come together beautifully since I tasted it from barrel, framed by juicy acids and fine, stony tannins. It's a superb wine that confirms the serious stature of this vintage chez d'Angerville.

Tasting note: A background note of menthol sits atop the spicy combination of floral and the pure essence of dark pinot fruit. The highly energetic and equally pure middle weight flavors brim with minerality on the beautifully refined, saline and even firmer finish that also exhibits a trace of youthful austerity. This well-balanced effort is really quite lovely and very Frémiets in character. Allen meadows - Burghound