The Bitouzet family has been farming in Volnay since the early 1800s and were among the first families in the village to bottle their own wines independently.  The family’s holdings in Volnay, now overseen by Vincent Bitouzet, cover an impressive diversity of village-level and premier cru parcels. The vines that produce today’s wine come from the premier cru “Pitures” vineyard, on the Pommard side of Volnay. Bitouzet owns a miniscule .5 hectares of this parcel, which borders the famous “Clos des Ducs.” This vineyard was planted 56 years ago and while the volume of its productivity is beginning to decline, it is absolutely peaking in the depth and quality of wine it produces. The parcel produces little more than 150 cases of wine each vintage; less than 50 cases of which come into the US each year.

Vincent Bitouzet farm all their parcels organically, relying on zero shortcuts with chemicals or systemic treatments, and all fruit is harvested by hand. This restraint is echoed in the cellar: juice is vinified gently and slowly with no heavy handed winemaking technology and minimal sulfur. The end goal of the entire process is to produce wines that mature in the cellar for many years, and gradually evolve in aromatics and structure. In a region increasingly overrun with estates bottling young-drinking, modern red Burgundy, the Bitouzet family are arch traditionalists. The family’s wines are seldom open and enjoyable upon release, but they offer a consistently impressive reward to those patient enough to cellar the wines.

Vincent Bitouzet's 2018 Volnay Premier Cru “Pitures” has a translucent ruby core moving to light garnet and a translucent orange rim. This wine is in its prime and alive aromas explode from the glass—classic volnay notes of dark cherry, wild flowers, mint and fresh herbs, dried rose petals, dried mushrooms, wet forest floor, wet clay and distant hint of spice. On the palate, the wine generously shows its proximity to Volnay’s border with Pommard. It is noticeably more powerful and masculine, with pronounced directness and an impressively long finish. While enjoying this bottle, I was repeatedly struck by how mature and in the zone it is. This wine has never been more perfectly ready to drink than right now and it should be enjoyed over the next 2-3 years. Decant for 10 minutes and serve in large Burgundy stems.