2021 Xavier Monnot Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes | 93 Point Old Vine Burgundy

🔥 93 Point Volnay Premier Cru | Old Vines Dating Back to 1936

Perfume, finesse and old-vine depth — a beautiful expression of one of Volnay's great Premier Cru vineyards

Clos des Chênes. Old vines. Limestone terroir. Classic Volnay elegance.

93 Points – Wine Spectator

Exceptional Premier Cru Burgundy | Perfume, Finesse & Old-Vine Complexity

“A beautifully refined Volnay — black cherry, blackberry, violet and mineral complexity carried by supple fruit, fine structure and classic Côte de Beaune elegance.”

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Bright ruby-red with beautiful clarity and a delicate crimson edge.

Aroma: Perfumed and finely detailed with black cherry, blackberry and raspberry, layered with violet, peony, subtle spice and stony mineral notes.

Palate: Supple and beautifully balanced. Red and dark berry fruit flows through a medium-bodied palate, accompanied by floral complexity and fine-grained tannins. There's a lovely mineral backbone and freshness that keeps the wine precise and energetic.

Finish: Long and elegant, with dark cherry, violet, mineral notes and subtle oak spice lingering beautifully.

Wine Spectator awarded the wine 93 points, highlighting its black cherry, blackberry, violet and mineral character and the way the wine remains balanced through the finish.

Critical Acclaim – 2021 Vintage

• 93 Points – Wine Spectator

Vinous describes a more reserved expression of the vineyard, with peony, violet, dark berry and blue-fruit characters, grainy tannins and a distinctly structured finish.

Clos des Chênes – One of Volnay's Great Premier Crus

This is where the wine gets seriously interesting.

Clos des Chênes

is one of the largest and most highly regarded Premier Cru vineyards in Volnay, sitting between Taille Pieds and the border with Monthélie.

The soils contain a high proportion of:

Limestone

which helps give Clos des Chênes its distinctive combination of perfume, finesse, freshness and generous fruit.

This is quintessential Volnay territory.

Not simply power.

Not sheer concentration.

But:

Perfume • Texture • Minerality • Finesse

Old Vines Planted in 1936

And here's the part I really love.

Xavier Monnot's parcel of Clos des Chênes contains two distinct generations of vines.

Half were planted in:

1936

and the other half in:

1978.

That means a significant portion of the fruit for this wine came from vines approximately 85 years old at the 2021 harvest.

Bill Nanson of Burgundy Report specifically singled out those old 1936 vines when tasting the 2021, praising the wine's minerality, width and delicacy and describing it as a great Clos des Chênes.

That's serious vineyard pedigree.

Vineyard & Winemaking

The wine is:

100% Pinot Noir

from Xavier Monnot's approximately two-acre parcel of Clos des Chênes.

The 2021 reds were fully destemmed, which puts the focus firmly on the purity of the fruit rather than whole-bunch influence.

The Clos des Chênes is matured for approximately:

12–14 months in French oak

with around:

30–35% new oak.

That's enough new oak to add structure and complexity while allowing the perfume and delicacy of Volnay to remain front and centre.

The 2021 Vintage

2021 was a very different Burgundy vintage from the warmer years immediately preceding it.

Frost dramatically reduced the crop, while the cooler growing season produced wines with greater freshness, perfume and classical proportions.

Xavier Monnot reported that some parcels produced only around half a normal crop. Despite the challenges, he found the finished wines balanced, with the reds generally lighter and more immediately approachable than in richer vintages.

And for Clos des Chênes, that appears to have worked beautifully.

Burgundy Report noted that rather than producing the warmer, heavier style seen in some preceding years:

“the delicacy of Volnay is restored in 21.”

That's exactly what you want from great Volnay.

Domaine Xavier Monnot

Xavier Monnot is based in Meursault, where his family has deep roots.

The domaine was previously known as Domaine René Monnier, after Xavier's grandfather. Following significant improvements in both vineyard and cellar, Xavier began bottling under his own name with the 2005 vintage.

Today the estate stretches across Burgundy, with Premier Cru holdings in Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Beaune, Volnay and Maranges.

The house style emphasises:

Purity • Elegance • Complexity • Terroir

And Clos des Chênes is a terrific example.

Region

Volnay 1er Cru, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France

Volnay is one of Burgundy's great Pinot Noir villages.

Where neighbouring Pommard is generally associated with greater muscle and tannic structure, Volnay is famous for:

Perfume • Florals • Red Fruit • Silky Texture • Elegance

Clos des Chênes adds a little more generosity and structure without sacrificing that finesse.

It's a beautiful combination:

Volnay perfume + Premier Cru depth + old-vine concentration.

Food Pairings

• Roast duck with wild mushrooms
• Quail
• Roast chicken with truffle
• Veal
• Lamb rack
• Beef Bourguignon
• Mushroom and truffle risotto
• Époisses
• Mature Comté

Red Burgundy's acidity and moderate structure make it particularly versatile with game birds, duck, mushrooms and truffle-based dishes.

Why We Love It

This has virtually everything I want to see in serious Burgundy.

Vines dating back to 1936

Volnay Premier Cru

Clos des Chênes

Limestone-rich terroir

100% Pinot Noir

12–14 months French oak

93 Points – Wine Spectator

Classic Volnay perfume and finesse

And the RRP:

$290.

More importantly, 2021 looks particularly suited to this vineyard.

Instead of producing an oversized or overly ripe Pinot Noir, the cooler vintage has brought the focus back toward perfume, freshness, minerality and delicacy.

And those 1936 vines bring another dimension entirely.

This is serious, cellar-worthy Burgundy with genuine history behind it.

Perfumed. Mineral. Silky. Old Vine.

The 2021 Xavier Monnot Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes is a beautifully classical expression of Volnay — combining old-vine depth with the perfume, freshness and elegance that make this village so compelling.

93 Points. Vines Dating to 1936. Volnay 1er Cru. $290 RRP.

👉 A superb Premier Cru Burgundy to drink now with air or cellar confidently for another decade.

Searching for exceptional Volnay Premier Cru? The 2021 Xavier Monnot Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes is a 93-point old-vine Pinot Noir from one of Volnay's most important Premier Cru vineyards. Xavier Monnot's two-acre parcel includes vines planted in 1936 and 1978 on limestone-rich soils. Matured for 12–14 months in French oak, it combines black cherry, blackberry and violet with mineral freshness, fine spice, supple tannins and classic Volnay finesse.