2019 Pierre Yves Colin-Morey Volnay Taillepieds

Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey is a 13.5-acre domaine in Chassagne-Montrachet. Pierre-Yves is the eldest son of Marc Colin, who 40 years ago started the domaine that would become Marc Colin et Fils. Today Marc Colin et Fils is run by Marc’s two younger sons. Pierre-Yves was winemaker for Marc Colin et Fils from 1995 to 2005, but in 2006 Pierre-Yves struck out on his own with a small domaine and a micro-negociant business. He has expanded his properties since then and now his grapes are about 70% from his own parcels and 30% purchased. Colin-Morey produces about 6,000 cases a year and has Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards in Meursault, Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet. Pierre-Yves makes mostly white wines, from Grand Crus to villages appellations. But it is his Premier Cru whites that have most impressed reviewers and collectors. Clive Coates notes that Pierre-Yves makes wine that “is pure, elegant and precise. He is a name to watch.”

Volnay is a small appellation with just 904 vineyard acres and a town of fewer than 500 residents. Nevertheless, to Burgundy enthusiasts, it's a jewel. Clive Coates calls Volnay “one of the most delightful wines and one of the most rewarding communes in the Côte d’Or.” Robert M. Parker Jr. described Volnay as “the queen of the Côte de Beaune.” Volnay has always been appealing. In the 13th and 14th centuries the powerful Dukes of Burgundy acquired land there and built chateaux. The medieval town sits on the hillside above the vineyards and the appellation is restricted to red wines made of Pinot Noir. Though there are no Grands Crus, there are 35 Premiers Crus. Some reviewers say the lighter soil of Volnay, compared with Pommard to the north, makes Volnay wines more delicate and elegant than wines from neighboring appellations. Robert M. Parker Jr. wrote that Volnay has a “high-quality level of winemaking…The top Volnays possess an immense, seductive fruitiness and lushness…”

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.