Domaine Y. Clerget, Volnay Premier Cru, Clos du Verseuil 2021 - 300cl
Clos du Verseuil is Clerget's jewel: a walled premier cru in the heart of Volnay that the family owns outright, a genuine monopole and the flagship of the estate. Thibaud Clerget, the twenty-eighth generation, farms it with a light hand, and the 2021 was fully destemmed and raised in twenty per cent new oak. The 2021 vintage tested growers with frost and a cool, classical season, and it has given a Volnay of poise and freshness rather than heft, which suits this elegant site well. In a 300cl double magnum, a wine this refined becomes something to lay down and forget for a while.
The nose opens with an intriguing oyster-shell minerality wrapped in lush red fruit, plum and sweet berry, with a floral lift of peony and a twist of orange rind. The palate is pure and satiny, medium-bodied, its red fruit lightly spiced and its grip building quietly toward an almost Pommard-like firmness on the close. There is real transparency here, the sort of Volnay that shows exactly where it comes from. The large format and the cool vintage together argue for patience, so give it five years and more; it will reward the wait handsomely.
How to Serve
Serve at 14 to 16C in large Burgundy bowls. Decant the double magnum thirty to forty-five minutes ahead; this is about aeration, not muscle.
Where to Drink It
J Sheekey, where the refinement meets its match in the fish.
The Wolseley, for a celebration that wants a grand room.
Noble Rot Soho, if the sommelier's attention is part of the appeal.
Food Pairings
Roast guinea fowl with wild mushrooms, letting the wine's delicacy lead.
