Aromas of wild berries, dark chocolate, sweet spices, licorice and rose petals preface the 2020 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes, a full-bodied, ample and layered wine that's rich, powerful and gourmand, with a ripe core of fruit, powdery tannins and succulent balancing acids. It's a compelling success, but it will reward some bottle age.

The 2019 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes has turned out especially well. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of raspberries, pomegranate, sweet spices, licorice and rose petals, it's full-bodied, layered and concentrated, its velvety attack segueing into a deep and voluminous core of fruit that's framed by lively acids and unusually refined tannins for this site. This is one of the most elegant and compelling Clos des Chêne that Bouley has produced to date.

The 2018 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes is showing well, unwinding in the glass with aromas of wild berries, plums, dark chocolate, potpourri and rich soil tones. Medium to full-bodied, layered and muscular, with a deep, tightly wound core that's built around succulent acids and fine, powdery tannins, this will reward a decade's patience.

The 2017 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes delivers a lovely bouquet of sweet red berries, orange rind, rose hips and peonies. Medium to full-bodied, deep and mineral, it's concentrated and beautifully structurally refined, its sappy core of fruit framed by powdery tannins. Bouley reflected that this only attained a peak fermentation temperature of 28 degrees Celsius, but it held at that temperature for a long time. This is worth a special effort to seek out.