Georges Glantenay 'Les Brouillards' Volnay 1er Cru, Burgundy, France 2018

Although the Georges Glantenay estate goes back five generations, their history as a estate-bottler of fine Burgundy is more recent. Prior to 2014 when the current generation, Brother-Sister team of Guillaume and Sarah Glantenay took over, most of the production was sold either as grapes or as wine in bulk. Since then, they have been progressively taking back their own production as contracts expire. The estate comprises some 10 HA of vines among 16 different appellations mostly in Volnay and Pommard but also some in Chambolle-Musigny from vineyards inherited from their grandmother’s family.

• Winemaker: Guillaume and Sarah Glantenay
  
• Farming: Organic
  
• Variety: Pinot Noir, planted 1955.
  
• Terroir: 1.1ha in northeast Volnay, east and south-east facing shallow, rocky, red clayey soils
• Vinification: Harvesting and sorting is all done by hand. Grapes are destemmed and held for a short cold soak for several days. Fermentations last for 10-15 days, with indigenous yeasts and an extremely gentle maceration and extraction process; largely just an infusion but occasionally a very light pump over or punch down mostly just to keep the cap wet.
  
• Aging: The wines are raised for 15 months in 40% new French barrels before being racked to tank for a 3 month period to integrate prior to bottling.  Bottled unfiltered.
• Tasting Notes: Powerful red aromas of red and black fruits with spice, energetic, rich texture, and structured tannins.
• Production: 3021 bottles produced
• Scores: 90-93 points, Allen Meadows, Burghound.com
  "Moderate wood frames the pretty essence of red currant, plum, violet, lilac and a whiff of spice. There is a highly seductive, indeed almost creamy, mouth feel to the lacy yet punchy middle weight flavors that also evident plenty of minerality on the youthfully austere finale. Classic Brouillards."
  
  

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Domaine Georges Glantenay Les Brouillards Volnay 1er Cru, Burgundy, France 2018

Brother and sister team Guillaume & Sarah Glantenay are fifth-generation winegrowers who took the reins of their family estate in Burgundy in 2014. Before the takeover, the estate had mostly focused on selling grapes or bulk wines, but the siblings sought more for their futures. With Sarah in charge of sales and Guillaume in charge of viticulture and winemaking, the estate boasts 10 hectares of vineyards spread across 16 different appellations, predominantly in Volnay and Pommard.
Uniquely, the average vine age for the Domaine is over 60 years! Guillaume and Sarah have their grandfather to thank for this; he planted the bulk of these vineyards himself in the 50s and 60s; the remaining portion of vines were inherited from the grandmother’s side. According to these vignerons, 2018 was an excellent vintage for their Pinot Noir. Although it was warm, the Glantenays found a balance by dropping some fruit from the vine to limit yields and preserve the distinct character of their Volnay fruit. Much of the viticultural and winemaking practices at Glantenay are dedicated to expressing the purity and elegance inherent in their terroirs, particularly in Volnay. Harvesting is meticulously performed by hand with a seasoned team, ensuring the arrival of pristine fruit to the winery. A second inspection of the harvested fruit occurs on the sorting table so that the fruit that goes into the tank will not give off any astringent or bitter notes.
Through careful winemaking technique, Guillaume crafts wines that are concentrated, supple, and silky all at once, with just enough tannin to make the wine ageable as well. After destemming nearly all the fruit, it marinates in a short cold maceration, followed by a native yeast fermentation. Guillaume will use only 30-40% new oak on his Premier Cru wines, which is partly why they are still approachable in their youth. As a vineyard site, the Premier Cru of Brouillards sits at the northern edge of Volnay, bordering the village of Pommard. The southeast-facing vines are planted in shallow, rocky, and red clay soils. This seductive wine carries notes of red currant, plum, and perfumed violets, woven together with silky soft tannins and a luscious mid-palate. This wine can be enjoyed now but will show itself best in the 5-7 year window.    — Simi Grewal