2000 Marquis d'Angerville Volnay Premier Cru

Domaine Marquis d’Angerville is a hillside estate in Volnay, in Burgundy’s Cote de Beaune. The 35-acre domain was one of the first in Burgundy to bottle and market its own wines. Today the estate is run by Guillaume d’Angerville and his brother-in-law Renaud de Villette. The domaine’s most prestigious parcels are the Volnay premier cru Clos des Ducs (which is a monopole), and the premier crus Champans, Les Fremiets, Taille Pieds and Les Caillerets. Also owned are premier cru and village plots in Meursault and Pommard. Burgundy writer Clive Coates has written that “Angerville wines are exemplary; pure, terroir specific, elegant and intense.”

Côte de Beaune is the southern half of the Côte d’Or. The Côte de Beaune includes 16 villages and appellations. Among the most famous communes are Santenay, Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, Volnay, Pommard, Beaune and Aloxe-Corton. Three of the communes include Grand Cru vineyards and there are numerous Premier Cru vineyards. Though Côte de Beaune produces outstanding red and white wines, it is especially renowned for its Chardonnays, which are considered the best in the world. The prestigious Grand Cru Chardonnays from the vineyards Corton-Charlemagne, Montrachet, Batard-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet and Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet are always in high demand. The region takes its name from the village of Beaune, the unofficial capital of Burgundy. Beaune is home to many of Burgundy’s best negociants, including Joseph Drouhin, Louis Jadot and Bouchard Pere et Fils. Beaune is also home to the historic Hospices de Beaune wine auction, an annual event held by local producers for the benefit of a Beaune hospital built in the 15th century.

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.