This is one of the smartest Burgundy buys of the year — a Premier Cru from one of Volnay’s greatest vineyards, crafted by a sixth‑generation family domaine, priced at a level the rest of Burgundy left behind years ago.
It’s getting harder and harder to make a legitimate “value play” argument in the world of 1er Cru Red Burgundy — but every so often, a wine forces the conversation. The 2022 Henri Delagrange Volnay 1er Cru “Clos des Chênes” is exactly that wine: a pure, terroir‑driven Pinot Noir that radiates clarity, finesse, and old‑vine depth. We’ve been on our soapbox for Delagrange for years, from their sensational Bourgogne Rouge to their top Premier Crus, because across the lineup this sixth‑generation domaine continues to overdeliver in a region where value is nearly extinct.
Clos des Chênes is universally regarded as Volnay’s most powerful, structured, and age‑worthy Premier Cru — a vineyard whose pedigree regularly brushes up against Grand Cru territory. It’s prized for its depth, mineral tension, and longevity, and in the hands of Delagrange, it becomes a wine of remarkable purity and classical restraint. This is Grand Cru character at a fraction of the price.
Finding a current‑release Volnay 1er Cru “Clos des Chênes” under $100 is nearly impossible in today’s market. Consider the landscape:
“Clos des Chênes” Comparables
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2022 Michel Lafarge – U.S. Retail Avg. $258
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2022 Comtes Lafon – U.S. Retail Avg. $222
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2022 Henri Delagrange – @ SommSelect $99 (or $89 on 4+ bottles)
That’s not a small difference — that’s a category shift. Delagrange is delivering elite terroir at a price point that simply doesn’t exist elsewhere.
The Delagrange family has been working these slopes for generations, formally establishing their domaine in 1978 but farming the soils of Volnay and Pommard long before. Today, sixth‑generation vigneron Didier Delagrange oversees just under 11 hectares stretching from Meursault to Corton. After completing his studies at the Lycée Viticole in Beaune, he spent over a decade working alongside his parents before taking the reins in 2003. His philosophy is simple: healthy soils, hand-harvested fruit, and transparent winemaking that lets each terroir speak for itself.
This bottling comes from just 0.61 hectares of 75‑year‑old vines in Clos des Chênes — a tiny holding that yields just over 200 cases in a typical year. The winemaking is traditional and restrained, with only 20% new oak, allowing the old‑vine fruit and the vineyard’s iron‑rich limestone soils to shine through. The result is a wine of lifted aromatics, fine‑grained structure, and unmistakable Volnay elegance.
Santé!
