Domaine Y. Clerget - Volnay 1er Cru 'Carelle sous la Chapelle' Red 2022 Magnum

Wine Region: Burgundy, France

Grape: 100% Pinot Noir

Tasting notes: The “Carelle sous la Chapelle” is a very well located vineyard and a magnificent wine that Thibaud Clerget is the only one to make. It is silky, rich and Volnay deep at heart with the additional complexity from one of the greatest terroirs of the village. 

This is very classy wine. The bouquet is complex with notes of dark fruits, subtle spice aromas and vibrant red fruits. The palate is silky, rich and offers plenty of depth. It can be paired with charcuterie, charred meat, a large array of cow’s milk cheese and roast poultry. Drink now with 45 minutes of decanting or keep up until 2028 and beyond.

Expert Reviews

Decanter: 94 Points
The expressive fruit character of this wine displays notes of ripe cherry and rose petals and a texture on the palate that is mineral and bright. It is a wine of great elegance not as robust as the Rugiens or the Clos Vougeot in the same cellar yet with a charm all its own. The grapes from the seventy-year-old vines in this 0.45-hectare monopole behind the winery in the center of the village are usually destemmed 100% and one senses the depth of flavour despite the light elegance of the wine.

Burghound: 93 Points
A gorgeously pure nose of red currant lilac violet and anise leads to seductively textured silky and delicate flavors that once again exude a subtle minerality on the youthfully austere and impeccably well-balanced finale. This could use better overall depth but it is a classic Volnay of lace and grace.

Vinous: 92-94 Points
The 2022 Volnay 1er Cru 'Carelle sous la Chapelle' was fully de-stemmed and matured in 20% new oak. This has a lovely oyster shell element on the nose intertwined with lush red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with lightly spiced red fruit good grip and building weight in the mouth towards an almost Pommard-like finish. Convincing in terms of complexity here.

Jasper Morris: 90-93 Points
6 barrels one of them new instead of 13. All destemmed. Attractive mid red a certain density of fruit though with possibly a slight volatile note. More structure to this wine more typical of earlier vintages. The fruit spreads well to the back of the palate 

Wine Advocate: 92 Points
The 2022 Volnay 1er Cru 'Carelle sous la Chapelle' is pure and elegant offering up aromas of plums sweet red berries orange rind and peony followed by a medium to full-bodied satiny and sensual palate that compensates for what it lacks in depth and structure with perfume charm and finesse. Last year I reported on Thibaud Clerget's stylistic evolution in the direction of suaver more elegant wines. That was already apparent with the 2020s which saw shorter cold soaks few punch-downs and less new oak; and the tendency is confirmed with a set of 2021s that achieve the impressive feat of equalling or even surpassing Clerget's earlier vintages in a year that was far more challenging in the vineyards. These sensual perfumed melting reds were produced in minute qualities with several cuvées so small that Thibaud opted to bottle several by hand directly from the barrel rather than to rack such small volumes to tank for mechanical bottling. That certainly seems to have worked well to preserve their delicacy and fragrance. While this estate's holdings hardly fit the theme of this article I'm publishing the notes here in the interest of timeliness since so few bottles were produced. 

About the winery: 

Thibaud Clerget took over the family Domaine in 2015; one of the oldest Domaines in the village. The rebirth of one of Volnay’s little treasures then began with six hectares of vineyards located within the best climats* of Burgundy. The vineyard of 1er cru “Clos du Verseuil” is located at the border, north of the renowned Taillepieds climat. The vineyard is 40 years of age.