{"product_id":"francois-mikulski-volnay-1er-cru-santenots-du-milieu-2024","title":"François Mikulski Volnay 1er Cru Santenots du Milieu 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHere is one of Burgundy's great quirks: Santenots is a red-wine vineyard that physically sits inside the commune of Meursault, but because the ground grows Pinot Noir so well, the wine is allowed to be sold as Volnay 1er Cru. Santenots du Milieu is the ripe heart of the vineyard. Mikulski's parcel is small, under a hectare, on brown silt over fractured bedrock with more clay than you find in the village of Volnay proper. That extra clay is the key: it gives these reds a fuller, richer texture than the featherweight style Volnay is known for, while keeping the perfume.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e100% Pinot Noir from old vines planted in 1947 and 1976. The fruit is de-stemmed and fermented with native yeasts and gentle punch-downs, then aged about 14 months in barrel with restrained new oak before racking to tank. François Mikulski is emphatic that too much wood buries the terroir, so the oak here is a frame, not a flavor. The result is elegant and floral: red cherry and raspberry, woodsmoke, violet, and warm spice, with the clay-driven flesh of Santenots underneath. His reds tend toward the pretty and delicate end of the Côte de Beaune. The 2024 vintage in Burgundy was wet and challenging, with mildew pressure and small yields, and leaned toward fresher, more aromatic reds, which flatters this style.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrançois Mikulski was born in Dijon to a Meursault mother and a Polish father, and grew up in Luxembourg before catching the wine bug through his uncle, the Meursault grower Pierre Boillot. He took over the family estate in 1991 with his wife Marie-Pierre, herself from a Burgundy winemaking family, and released his first vintage in 1992. The domaine runs to about 10 hectares, mostly Chardonnay but also Pinot Noir and Aligoté, and is farmed to organic principles though not certified. Mikulski's calling card is restraint: modest oak, clean winemaking, and a classic, terroir-first style rather than chasing fashion.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn elegant red for a special dinner. Roast duck or squab, veal with morels, mushroom risotto, or a herb-crusted rack of lamb. Softer cheeses like Époisses (a Burgundy classic) work too. The perfume and silky tannins suit refined, savory cooking, and a short decant helps it show at its best while young.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"VinMarket","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50572300910815,"sku":null,"price":188.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P7160698.jpg?v=1784262647","url":"https:\/\/denverwinemerchant.com\/products\/francois-mikulski-volnay-1er-cru-santenots-du-milieu-2024","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}