Bottled the previous week, the 2013 Volnay 1er Cru Brouillards has a rounded, surprisingly opulent bouquet: very charming and pure with crushed strawberry, bay leaf and raspberry aromas. The palate is well balanced with blackcurrant pastille on the entry, a gentle grip on the mouth with a light marine influence in evidence toward the finish. Drink this over the next two decades.

The 2012 Volnay 1er Cru Les Brouillards demands more coaxing than the Les Fremiets in the glass, gradually unfolding to offer darker fruit, hints of mulberry and bergamot, all well-defined and expanding with each swirl. The palate is very well-balanced with filigree tannins. Like the Fremiets this is very feminine and supple in the mouth, pure and elegant towards the finish that just glides and glides. Lovely. Jean-Pierre Charlot spoke of the demoralising effect of the 2012 and 2013 vintages. There was a slight air of resignation about the friendly giant of Volnay. Watching helplessly as vast swathes of vineyard are destroyed in the blink of a teary eye by hail provokes the question: “Well, what is the point?” To put a number on that, his 35 parcels that together constitute around 10 hectares was approximately 60% down in 2012 and to be honest, I didn’t want to ask about 2013 since I did not want to pile on the pain. But I continue to hold Jean-Pierre in the highest regard – he is the quintessential Burgundy vigneron with an innate knowledge of winemaking that makes him one of the most respected, if not high-profile, in the region. His wines are a masterclass in under-statement, letting the terroir do all the talking via relatively low alcohol levels plus a prudent use of oak (mostly Damy) and sulfur. The magic happens when you allow his wines to age in bottle. Having had the privilege of vintages back to the 1960s, I can vouch that they have an unerring ability to mature with grace and style, which is not always obvious in their youth. His 2012s are well worth seeking out in their diminished quantities, wines that I would love to have in my cellar. Importer: Vintage 59, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 966-9218

While the poor choice of clone and rootstock (not – needless to say – made by him) that Charlot continues to hold responsible for his Volnay Cailleret's failure to fully reflect its site proved especially handicapping this year, the Voillot 2006 Volnay Les Brouillards – from 70 year old selection massale vines bordering Pommard – performs admirably. Red raspberry and buddleia perfume lead to a sleek, texturally refined, and persistently refreshing palate, mingling tart red fruits and raw meat juices. The sense of glycerin here as well as the fineness of tannin keeps the wine's brightness of fruit from becoming sharp, and there is a sense of clarity to chalky and saline mineral as well as to carnal nuances in the finish. As Charlot points out, the corresponding 2005 now seems quite austere in direct comparison, whereas he finds the character of the 2006 vintage more suited to the strengths and limitations of Brouillards terroir. But I am confident the 2005 will gain back the virtues it showed from barrel and then some. I suspect that this 2006 will remain charming and versatile over the coming 4-6 years. The characteristically crisply-edged Pinot style favored by Jean-Pierre Charlot resulted in a collection of generally bright, delicate, but lean and selectively astringent 2006s. Charlot says triage was needed for culling grapes that had been subjected July sunburn, as well as for eliminating under-ripeness and rot. He professed satisfaction with by the standards of the vintage relatively low natural alcohol levels of 11.5-12.5%, and chaptalized lightly. Only the Bourgogne was deemed to require filtration, and Charlot says he prefers paying the price of a bit higher dosage of SO2 to submitting his Pinots to that trauma. Importer: Vintage 59, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 966-9218