While Volnay is home to 30 Premier Crus, there is near-universal agreement that five ancient vineyards (Premier Crus “Taillepieds,” “Caillerets,” “Champans,” “Clos des Chênes,” and “Santenots”) produce the village’s top wines. These are Volnay’s unofficial but undisputed Grand Crus. And if you’re looking for the ultimate in detail, finesse, and intoxicating aromatics, this already short list gets whittled down to a two sites: Premier Cru Clos des Chênes and the vineyard that produces this extraordinary wine, Premier Cru Taillepieds. For my money, there are only two producers who consistently pull the finest quality from Taillepieds’ limestone soils. The first is the legendary Hubert de Montille, whose brilliant Taillepieds is virtually impossible to locate outside of high-end restaurants and generally costs upwards of $100/bottle. The second is Vincent Bitouzet, whose Taillepieds reliably receives superior accolades despite costing far less. I’ll choose option #2 every time, and when you tack on some real bottle age, this 2011 is a surefire winner.