Domaine Perrin, 5th Jan

After the tasting in Pommard we walked to the Auberge on the main road for lunch. The vines were covered in a heavy frost.

Lunch was great with the exception of a dessert described as a pear chutney which was not a great success. Fortunately I opted for the assiette de fromage!

Then we walked up the hill to Volnay. Last year when we visited Domaine Perrin, it was absolutely perishing and Vincent kindly received us in his kitchen where it was warm. This year it wasn't quite as cold and we got to go in the cellar. It's not big.

Ok, there is another room which isn't shown in the photo...

We tasted our way through the 2009s. The two whites (St Romain and Meursault) were good and consistent with the 2008s - I got a case of the St Romain last year and have no regrets on that front.

The reds ascended from Bourgogne Rouge up to Volnay 1er cru. My top picks were:

1. the Volnay 1er cru la Gigotte. This is a monopole, and it was a showstopper, with rich, soft red fruits. I see from my entry here that I loved it last year too!

2. the Bourgogne Rouge - this had vibrant lively fruit, just what you want from a BR.

3. the Volnay Villages, which if prices are anything like last year offered exceptional value. We had a bottle of the 2008 in October generously provided by the Baron, which I described as delicious here.

Then Vincent produced some 1999s to compare! These wines were made by his father. We had the Volnay Villages, the Volnay 1er cru la Gigotte, and the Pommard les Chanlins. It was remarkable to try these wines with ten years of age on them, and 1999 was an excellent vintage. I found that the Pommard still had chewy tannins, and the star of the trio for me was the Volnay Villages which had a wonderful mature, earthy nose.

Overall, the wines of this domaine are approachable, smooth and elegant with pure, clean fruits. Last year I went for the white St Romain, this year I shall be going for the reds: definitely 1er cru la Gigotte and either the Bourgogne Rouge or the Volnay Villages, or possibly even both depending on what other tempting offerings there are.