Dominique Laurent Volnay Clos des Chenes 1er Cru 2015 (750ML)

91-94 VM

(two-thirds of these vines are among the oldest of the appellation, according to Laurent; vinified with a small percentage of whole clusters; just a single new barrel of this juice): Red-ruby. Fruit-dominated scents of black raspberry and kirsch. Dense, sweet and very ripe, offering a fine-grained texture to the medicinal black cherry and bitter chocolate flavors. Turns more taut on the back half, showing a rocky quality and obvious oak influence. Much less supple than the Brouillards, this youthful premier cru finishes very long and a bit austere and will require time in bottle. Stephen Tanzer