1983

Lets not beat around the bush, here; Henri Jayer would have forgotten more about Burgundy than I would ever aspire to know. However, unlike the great man, I have actually enjoyed some 1983 red burgundies of recent, a vintage Jayer himself deemed as rubbish “..I just don’t like them!” I, myself, don’t mind them and a 1983 Joseph Voillot Volany Les Fremiets, in spite of (or, perhaps because of) its sweet benzene/sloe/rotten veg aroma and searing acidity was a lovely match with a gargantuan chicken from the Glenloth Game Farm, on Christmas Day.

When young, Voillot’s wines offer excellent color, soft tannins and great harmony and length. But when mature, they can be magical, boasting pure perfumes, layered flavors, and the fabulous, velvety texture that is mature Burgundy at its best. Im not sure the 83 Fremiets conforms to this last statement, but it’s concentration and balance and the seasons good will lead me to give it the benefit of the doubt. Time to drink up, though.

In the best sense, Joseph Voillot is a classic Burgundy vigneron. He owns parcels in some of the finest premier cru vineyards in his home Volnay and neighboring Pommard. With low yields and vine age averaging 30 years, he has, for decades, produced intense, robust wines that repay cellaring.

Volnay’s Fremiets vineyard is steep and chalky, producing wines that are earthy and fragrant. The Premiers Crus to the north-east of Vlonay are adjoining Pommard - Frémiets, Chanlins, Pitures Dessus and Les Angles. Here the limestone is less evident, and the soils are stony, with a covering of loose shale which detaches itself and washes away in the rain. These wines, Frémiets in particular, tend to emphasize finesse rather than structure.

Nic@