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Tasting Note: 2017 Domaine de la Pousse d'Or Clos d'Audignac Monopole Volnay Premier Cru
Sunday, January 17, 2021
I probably drink 5x as much California Pinot Noir as Oregon Pinot Noir. And 5x as much Oregon Pinot Noir as French Pinot Noir. So this purchase is an attempt to gauge how much value this particular red Burgundy delivers for my taste.
Burgundy is a tricky and expensive category to explore. But regardless of the category I'm exploring I've gone with a couple approaches...
Approach 1: Find one of the more affordable 90+ Wine Spectator-rated wines in the category and give it a try.
Approach 2: Blow it out. Buy a pricey, well-regarded wine in the category and see if you like the style. If I prefer jammy fruit-forward reds it's just not smart to try finding that in Bordeaux. Better to explore a category that's aligned with what I'm looking for.
Finding red Burgundy Wine Spectator has rated 90+ points is challenging. So this was an attempt aligned with approach "2". But $120/btl is a pretty high bar to clear so let's see how it went...
$120/btl
13% Alcohol
40% opaque in an appealing ruby-red hue. Muted aromatically with subtle early notes and supporting delicate fruit.
Where this wine shows well is on the palate. Satisfying silky mouth-feel with a clean finish. Not an off note in the bottle, but as flawless as this may be it left me wanting for more.
91/100 WWP: Outstanding [but disappointing given the price]
Bottom Line
I don't have a ton of experience with red Burgundy. I bought this one hoping to explore their discernment in a category I'm not as confident in.
I've had good experiences with Volnay, but unfortunately this wine didn't do much to encourage me to explore deeper at this price point through Wine Access.
I think they're performing better with their NDA wines and domestic wines where the maker is known. Check back tomorrow for some recommendations from the latter category.
