Pierrick Bouley, Volnay Premier Cru, Champans 2021 - 75cl

Champans is one of Volnay's most admired premier crus — a south-facing slope of clay and pebbles that gives Pinot Noir both perfume and a spine strong enough to age. Pierrick Bouley farms a quarter-hectare parcel here, the sixth generation of his family on the Côte de Beaune, working towards organic certification with a light hand: whole berries destemmed, wild ferment, barely any added sulphur, and little to no new oak so the site does the talking.

2021 was a brutal, honest year in Burgundy — April frost and a cool, damp summer slashed yields by up to half. What survived is classic, cool-climate red Burgundy: fresh, taut, precise, the antidote to the riper vintages either side of it. There simply isn't much of it.

The nose is pure and cool — plum, dark berries, crushed stone, a twist of spice. On the palate it is markedly stony and quietly powerful, with fine acidity, tannins like gossamer and a finish that is youthfully austere rather than plush. Give it time and it will bloom; this is a wine with years ahead of it.

Save it for a table that appreciates restraint over richness, and don't rush it.

How to Serve

Serve at 15-16°C, cellar-cool. A short decant of 30 minutes helps the aromatics wake up. Reach for a large Burgundy bowl. Best from around 2026 through the early 2030s.

Where to Drink It

Noble Rot Soho, for Burgundy in knowing company. The Wolseley for a quieter lunch. Dandy in Newington Green, if you want somewhere that treats village-and-cru Burgundy with care.

Food Pairings

Roast guinea fowl or a simple free-range chicken with tarragon lets the Pinot's delicacy through. Coq au vin works too, if you want to lean into Burgundy.