Located in the village of Volnay, Domaine Marquis d'Angerville is one of Burgundy's most renowned wineries, once named one of the world's best by Robert Parker. Known as the "Spiritual Point of Volnay," it holds extraordinary historical significance in Burgundy, having stood firm for over 200 years.
The history of Domaine Marquis d'Angerville dates back to 1804, when Baron du Mesnil, then Deputy Mayor of Autun, purchased vineyards in Volnay and founded the winery. In the late 19th century, Baron Mesnil's daughter married into the Angerville family. The estate was later taken over by their son, Shem d'Angerville. Dissatisfied with fraudulent winemaking and unscrupulous wine merchants who mislabeled their wines, Sam d'Angerville led Burgundy wineries, large and small, to pioneer the practice of in-house bottling. Today, many Burgundy wineries still insist on using only their own grapes and bottling their own wines.
In 2003, Sam d'Angerville's grandson, Guillaume d'Angerville, left his career in Paris to partner with his cousin, who had worked at the winery for many years, to continue the spirit and quality of the family winery. After reflecting on the winery's core values, he decided to implement numerous reforms within the winery, such as promoting biodynamic viticulture and eliminating chemical pesticides to improve the grapes' resistance to pests and diseases.
Region
The estate's vineyards encompass 15 hectares, 11 of which are Premier Cru vineyards. These vineyards are situated on southeast-facing slopes. The soil is primarily a mixture of clay and limestone, with small, marly, pebbly pebbles. The shallow topsoil forces the vines to penetrate deeper, absorbing more trace elements. Furthermore, the rocky surface absorbs solar heat during the day, reflecting it back onto the grape bunches for optimal ripening. Combined with the biodynamic viticulture methods adopted in 2006, the high quality of the wines is undeniable.
Les Santenots is a Premier Cru located south of the Volnay border in the village of Meursault. The Meursault Santenots Premier Cru designation is reserved for white Chardonnay; red Pinot Noir wines must be labeled Volnay Santenots Premier Cru. The vineyard, covering approximately 29 hectares, lies north of the village and is further divided into Santenots-du-Milieu, Les Santenots-Dessus, Les Santenots-Blanc, and Les Pleures. Santenots-du-Milieu is considered to possess the best terroir in the region and was once classified as the highest level of vineyard, "Tête de Cuvée," in the 19th-century classification system.
The soil in Santenots differs slightly from the rest of the region, consisting of harder limestone. The iron oxide-rich soil is reddish in color, giving the wines good body and richness. The vineyard's south-southeast exposure allows for ample sunshine, and the windproof terrain allows for even ripening of the grapes, resulting in concentrated flavors and well-balanced acidity.
Winemaking
The winery adheres to traditional winemaking methods, using no additives during fermentation, allowing the grapes to ferment naturally. Temperatures can reach as high as 35°C during the 8-10 day fermentation process. After fermentation, the juice rests for two to three days to allow the lees to settle. The wine is then aged in oak barrels. To prevent oak flavors from overpowering the wine's delicate flavors, no more than 35% of the wine is new. Fining and light filtration are performed before bottling. The estate produces a very limited annual production of just a thousand cases, most notably its single-vineyard Clos des Ducs. The estate also produces wines from vineyards such as Taillepieds and Champans. Marquis d'Angerville wines are never overpowering. Instead, they are characterized by elegance, purity, and refinement.
Rating
Wine Advocate 89-91 pts
Aromas of crisp green orchard fruit, citrus zest and fresh peach, framed by a light touch of youthful reduction, introduce d'Angerville's 2019 Meursault 1er Cru Santenots, a medium to full-bodied, tightly wound wine that was quite reserved when I tasted it. I suspect that, in bottle, it will show all the plenitude that one expects from this site in a warm vintage, but it's also promisingly bright and precise.
Vinous 88-90 pts
The 2019 Meursault Santenots ler Cru, aged for 12 months in barrel andracked into stainless steel on the lees, comes across a little laconic andbackward on the nose with light smoke and beeswax aromas. The palate isbetter with good weight and concentration on the entry. Touches of driedhoney and a little brioche, fresh, if uncomplicated compared to theVolnays. l think this was just a little reduced at the time of my tasting.
