Georges Glantenay Volnay 1er Cru Le Ronceret 2023
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The Land
Volnay defines what Côte de Beaune Pinot Noir can be at its most refined: transparent, aromatic, fine-boned, built on lightness rather than weight. The village sits just north of Pommard with a few hundred meters of slope between them, but the soils tell a completely different story. Where Pommard's clay-iron base drives tannin and structure, Volnay's limestone and sand produce wines that seem almost weightless by comparison. Le Ronceret occupies a central position within Volnay's premier cru belt, not at the Meursault end like Santenots, not at the Pommard border like Les Brouillards, but in the heart of the appellation where the commune's character is most directly expressed. The soil here is notably poor and thin over the limestone bedrock, which pushes vine roots deep in search of water and nutrients. That depth is what gives Le Ronceret its complexity and length relative to its neighbors.
The Wine
100% Pinot Noir from Glantenay's Le Ronceret holdings, hand-harvested and fully destemmed. Short cold soak, then fermentation with indigenous yeasts over 10 to 15 days with light infusion-style extraction that keeps the tannins fine and the fruit expressive. Aged 14 to 16 months in barrel with 30 to 50% new oak for premier crus, then 4 to 6 weeks in tank before bottling. No filtration. The 2023 vintage brought ripe, juicy reds with good maturity across the Côte de Beaune, comparable in character to 2019, with each site expressing its own personality clearly. Le Ronceret in 2023 shows ripe cherry, violet, dried rose petal, a thread of iron and spice, and a long, silky finish that is the hallmark of good Volnay premier cru. The average vine age of over 60 years contributes a depth and focus that younger fruit cannot replicate.
The People
The Glantenay family has farmed vines in and around Volnay for five generations. The domaine's modern chapter began in 2014, when siblings Guillaume and Sarah Glantenay took over from their father Pierre, who had run the estate primarily as a bulk producer. Since then, they have progressively reclaimed vineyard contracts and built a 10-hectare estate-bottled program spanning 16 appellations in Volnay, Pommard, Chambolle-Musigny, and Meursault. A significant part of that portfolio is defined by vine age: their grandfather Georges planted much of the current holdings in the 1950s and 1960s, giving the domaine an average vine age of over 60 years. Guillaume makes the wines; Sarah manages operations. Their wines are imported by Polaner Selections.
Food Pairing
Volnay's transparency and finesse call for food that complements rather than competes: roasted chicken thighs with mushrooms and thyme, duck breast with cherry reduction, a rack of lamb with herbs and garlic, or rabbit braised with olives and white wine. This is also one of the rare reds that holds its own alongside a mushroom and gruyère tart — its lightness makes it unusually flexible for a premier cru.
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Burgundy, in eastern France, encompasses several subregions, but it is the Côte d'Or that is home to many of the world's most expensive and revered wines. The region, primarily a single east-facing slope, has mixed limestone soils that vary dramatically from village to village and even vineyard to vineyard. White wines, crafted from Chardonnay, range from rich and opulent to lean and intensely mineral, while Pinot Noir produces silky, perfumed red wines of exceptional finesse and complexity. Centuries of winemaking tradition have resulted in every plot being meticulously recognized and scrutinized, making the Côte d'Or a true capital of terroir.
Burgundy - Cote d'Or
Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned, notoriously difficult-to-grow, low-yielding grape that finds its ancestral home in Burgundy, France, where it produces some of the world's most elegant and nuanced wines. While Burgundy remains its spiritual heartland, Pinot Noir has since traveled the globe, finding success in other cooler climates, notably in California, Oregon, New Zealand, and Germany. This grape is a challenge for any grower, as it requires specific conditions to show its best, and yet the wines it produces are capable of such a captivating and singular character.
