The 2019 Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets is shaping up beautifully, unfurling in the glass with scents of peonies, sweet berry fruit, blood orange, smoke and warm spices. Medium to full-bodied, lively and perfumed, it's velvety and charming, with melting tannins and an ample core of fruit. This is the highest in alcohol of all of Rossignol's 2019s, but it appears to be seamlessly integrated.

The 2017 Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets is one of the purest, most fragrant wines in the cellar, unfurling in the glass with aromas of rose petals and potpourri that mingles with sweet fruit tones of cherry and raspberry. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, satiny and supple, with a lovely line of acidity, a fine-grained chassis of tannin and a beautifully defined finish.

The 2016 Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets was less damaged by the frost and was cropped at 25 hectoliters per hectare. This was 100% destemmed. I would have liked a little more mineralité and terroir expression on the nose, given the pedigree of the vineyard. The palate is a little chewy on the entry, saline in the mouth with a noticeable marine influence towards the muscular finish. Perhaps I might find more precision on the Clos des Angles this year?

The 2013 Volnay 1er Cru les Caillerets was entirely destemmed because of the terroir and because of the hail damage. It has a very perfumed, rose-petal bouquet that unfurls beautifully in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin and palpable mineral notes surfacing toward the harmonious finish. This is one of the best 2013s from the domaine.

The 2012 Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets is a blend of two different vineyards, one adjacent to Marquis d’Angerville from Nicolas’s father and older vineyards from his grandfather next to “Clos des 60 Ouvrees.” This was entirely de-stemmed. It probably is blessed with the purest aromatic profile from Nicolas Rossignol, with macerated dark cherries and cassis infused with fine mineralite. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins that lend this Volnay very good backbone. There is a saline touch at the side of the mouth and it boasts a long, lightly spiced finish. Excellent. I have been tasting the wines of Nicolas Rossignol for several years now, but this was the first time that I had visited him at the winery in Beaune that he shares with Benjamin Leroux. “I didn’t have enough space in Volnay where I was working with my father,” he explained. “My first vinification here was in 2011.” He now farms around 15 hectares of vine that have been handed down from his family. “My father is from Volnay and my mother Pernand,” he continued. “In 2002, when my grandfather was 89 years old, he said that he was going to sell the grapes to a negoce. I said ‘O.K. Then I will be your negoce’. Then in 2008, one of my uncles who also sold grapes to negoce said exactly the same thing. Most of his vineyards were next to my father’s and so I made the same deal with him, on the condition that I worked the vineyards like he had been doing. That was fine because I like to spend time in the vineyards. So now my grandparents’ and uncle’s vines go into the domaine’s wine. And now in this winery, I can do what I want, whereas before I did what I can.” In 2012, like so many producers, his vines were affected by the growing conditions and especially the hail, therefore he has had to blend some premier crus together because the quantities were simply too miniscule to bottle separately. “I lost a lot of grapes in Volnay, Pommard and Beaune,” he rued. One topic of conversation that kept arising was Nicolas’s approach to whole cluster ferments and to this end, I have detailed the percentages with respect to each barrel sample. “I like whole clusters,” he enthused. “It gives energy to wine. But it is not appropriate for all terroirs. For example I do not use whole clusters for ferrous soils because the energy comes from the terroir already.” Nicolas prefers punching down the fruit rather than pumping over and presses once the tannins are fully ripe, which he assesses on taste rather than analyzing the must. He opined that his 2012s will probably require an extended period in bottle, possibly up until August or September for some wines. Like many growers I spoke to, he eschews new oak and raises all the wines in 30% one-year-old barrels, 30% two-year-old and the remainder in older wood. These were generally excellent wines: taut, bursting with red fruit, very distinctive and respectful of their terroirs and brimming over with personality. The judicious application of oak allowed the vagaries of the fruit to be expressed, while lending the wines just enough body to give them structure and intensity. While most will be approachable in their youth, I believe that the premier crus will have a propensity to age in not dissimilar fashion to his 2010s. Importer: Becky Wasserman Selection (Le Serbet) and through various US importers (see www.leserbet.com for full list.)