Served blind in Beaune from an ex-cellar bottle, the 1977 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes was just about as good a wine as you will find from this wretched vintage. Rustic, a little iron-like but with vestiges of red berry fruit on the nose, the palate is perhaps just a little green around the edges, yet there is balance and body here. It is simple and "untidy," yet I noticed how I contentedly finished my glass, thereby fulfilling its raison d'être.