“Ez Blanches” may not be a household name, but a quick look at a map of the lieu-dits in Volnay reveals it to be prime Pinot Noir real estate. It’s located high on the slope across which all the Premier and Grand Crus run, just above the lauded 1er Cru “Clos des Chenes.” Soils up here in “Ez Blanches” are particularly rocky and poor, littered with white limestone that gives the vineyard its name. In the past, a site like this, bordering the forest and at the very top of the slope, would have been maligned for its inability to produce fully ripe fruit every year. But nowadays in warmer climate cycles, lieu-dits like “Ez Blanches” are the Burgundy drinker’s secret weapon. A warm, solar vintage like 2023 produces fruit ripe enough to remind us of the Premier Crus of yesteryear, without the flab some Premier Crus are getting today.

And you couldn’t ask for a better interpreter of this little parcel than Domaine Eric Boigelot. The Boigelot family traces their history back to 1918, when Eric’s great-grandfather established the domaine in nearby Monthelie. Eric and his wife Patricia now oversee roughly 8.5ha throughout Volnay, Meursault, Monthelie, and Pommard, and they keep up the old way of doing things. They carry Europe’s highest level of sustainability certification, ferment everything spontaneously, and age wines up to 18 months depending on the needs of the wine.

Why You’ll Love It:

• Boigelot’s “Ez Blanches” comes from a prime lieu-dit that’s really coming into its own in our current era of consistently warm vintages. 2023 in particular is fantastic for early drinking – it was the hottest growing season on record, but also saw regular rainfall. The best 2023s are open and accessible now, but have the structure to go a decade or more in your cellar.

• Eric and his wife Patricia practice old-school winemaking, including destemming, a cold pre-fermentation maceration, and long aging in mostly used wood. This isn’t the flashy, fruity style so popular with the current wave of young producers. It’s Burgundy as it should be, about balance and terroir transparency.

• The nose is glorious, a melange of crunchy red cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, plum skin, rose petals, orange peel, struck flint, tobacco, mushrooms, and turned earth. Volnay is often thought of as the Chambolle of the Côte de Beaune, and that rings very true here.

• On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, fleshing out into more red fruit before a wash of mushroomy earth comes through, and the finish closes out of with a chime of invigorating acidity. Tannins are present but nicely polished; “Ez Blanches” is ready to drink right now but it’s definitely got the stuffing to go a decade in your cellar!

How To Serve It:

• Drink now or at any time over the next ten years, slightly above cellar temperature.

• While it’s ready to drink, a quick decant wouldn’t hurt “Ez Blanches.” Then pour into Burgundy bowls and revel in Volnay’s heady perfume.

• Mushrooms and game bird would be classic alongside “Ez Blanches,” but it’d also be stunning alongside a spiced lamb tagine.