The Premier Cru “Clos des Chênes,” so named for the oak grove to its west, is considered by some to be the most prestigious single vineyard site in Volnay, with a slightly more southerly aspect that infuses its wines with an extra layer of depth and power. It is just outside the village of Volnay proper, abutting “Taillepieds” on one side and the Monthélie appellation boundary on the other, at one of the highest points on Volnay’s Premier Cru slope. It’s a vineyard name you’ll see attached to a number of high-profile owners, including Michel Lafarge, Domaine Leroy, and Comtes Lafon, among many others.

Modern-day Remoissenet still bottles a wine from this site, and the house’s expansive reach across diverse terroirs is pretty incredible. In 2007, my father and I visited Remoissenet and it was an experience I will never forget. We entered an unremarkable building in the center of Beaune and started down a flight of stairs that seemed to descend in temperature with each step. The vast cave below revealed a winery and cellar, built in the 1300s, which connects to the medieval walls of Beaune itself. In 2005, a new ownership group, which includes the New York real estate developer (and passionate Burgundy collector) Ed Millstein, took over the property, and it has been enjoying a renaissance ever since. Retaining a veteran hand like Bernard Répolt was a smart move: He’s the docent in what is effectively a museum loaded with priceless art.

This wine is, like the ’67 Chambolle, one that will need to be handled with special care. You’ll want to have a two-pronged “ah-so” opener on hand if there are difficulties extracting the cork (which, it’s important to note, is the bottle’s original closure—these wines were not reconditioned before shipment). If you’re using a waiter’s-style opener, insert the worm at an angle rather than straight down, and pull up very slowly. If the cork breaks, don’t worry—just have a fine mesh strainer or some cheesecloth handy to strain out any stray bits.

Thanks to its impeccable provenance, this wine is still physically sound and can stand up to a brief decanting for sediment right before service—but decanting is not needed. The wine is mature and will open up quickly. It is a tawny, brackish amber to the eye, with an aromatic profile now dominated by highly perfumed secondary and tertiary notes of dried cherry, tobacco, dried leaves, damp earth, dried rose petals, dried orange peel, black tea, and a hint of wood smoke. This is a spry, athletic 50-year-old which is ready to drink now, but also not ready to retire just yet! There is still another 10 years ahead of it if kept well; this wine is still full of fruit and not dried out like some old wines can be. With lots of special holiday meals on the immediate horizon, find a place for it on your table alongside a suitably festive crown roast of pork (see attached recipe). It is a special wine experience that’ll be awfully hard to duplicate (unless you purchase more than one bottle). Enjoy!