Domaine Y. Clerget, Volnay Premier Cru, Clos du Verseuil 2021 - 150cl

Clos du Verseuil is Domaine Yvon Clerget's own walled vineyard, a monopole tucked into the middle of Volnay village that no other grower can bottle. The Clergets have made wine here since the thirteenth century; today it is Thibaud Clerget in charge, back home after time at Domaine de la Romanee-Conti and Meo-Camuzet, and the wines have found a new clarity under him.

Volnay is the most perfumed red in the Cote de Beaune, and 2021 — a frost-hit, low-yielding year — has given wines of real freshness and lift rather than weight. Expect Pinot Noir in its silkiest register: crushed raspberry and red cherry, a note of violet, a twist of pepper, and the faint savoury edge Volnay develops with a few years in bottle. The tannins are fine and cool, the acidity bright, and in magnum it will hold and improve for a decade or more.

A bottle for the table and for keeping — one that rewards patience and a proper glass.

How to Serve

Serve at 15–16°C in a broad Burgundy bowl. Decant gently just before serving, or pull the cork an hour ahead — young Volnay opens fast with a little air.

Where to Drink It

Noble Rot for its Burgundy list. The River Cafe for the cooking that suits it. Scott's in Mayfair for the occasion a magnum deserves.

Food Pairings

Roast duck or guinea fowl is the classic reach — the perfume lifts the bird, the acidity cuts the fat. Coq au vin works too, and so does a plate of wild mushrooms on toast.