Domaine Nicolas Rossignol : Volnay Village 2020

Tasting Notes and Serving Suggestions for the Volnay Village 2020 from Domaine Nicolas Rossignol

Tasting

Color

The color reveals a bright ruby hue, enhanced by delicate violet highlights at the rim.

Nose

The nose displays fine aromatic complexity with notes of red fruits—especially cherries and raspberries—alongside floral nuances of violet and white flowers. Spicy touches of cinnamon and clove mingle with a subtle minerality that brings depth and elegance to the whole.

Palate

The attack is elegant and silky, revealing a beautiful concentration of red fruit balanced by crisp, silky tannins. The velvety texture coats the palate, while the preserved acidity adds energy and freshness. The finish lingers with finesse, leaving an impression of delicate fruit, subtle spices, and refined minerality.

Food and Wine Pairings

This Volnay Village 2020 pairs perfectly with fine poultry such as duck with figs, guinea fowl, or pigeon. It also matches very well with tender red meats like beef carpaccio with arugula and Parmesan or a beef tenderloin. Fans of feathered game will appreciate it alongside roasted pheasant or partridge. For cheese, opt for Comté, Brillat-Savarin, Reblochon, or Chaource.

Serving and Cellaring

This Volnay Village 2020 can be enjoyed now and will continue to evolve until around 2035. The alcohol content is 13%.

An elegant, refined Volnay from an outstanding vintage in Burgundy

The estate

Founded in 1997 by Nicolas Rossignol, a fifth-generation winegrower in Volnay, Domaine Nicolas Rossignol today spans around seventeen hectares across nearly thirty appellations in the Côte de Beaune. After broadening his experience at several prestigious estates in France and South Africa, Nicolas Rossignol developed a respectful approach to viticulture, favoring sustainable farming and biodynamic influence. Based in Beaune since 2011, the estate is run by Nicolas Rossignol, who continues an infusion rather than extraction philosophy, aiming to reveal the authenticity of Burgundian terroirs with finesse and precision.

The vineyard

This Volnay Village comes from parcels located on the lower and mid-slopes of the Volnay hillside, situated below the Premier Cru Clos des Angles and above these same climats. The vines benefit from a southeast exposure at altitudes between 230 and 280 meters. The soils show remarkable diversity: oolitic limestone and schist in the upper sections, iron-rich, stony Bathonian limestone in the mid areas, and deeper, clay-enriched soils in the lower sectors. This mosaic of terroirs gives the wine remarkable aromatic and structural complexity.

The vintage

The 2020 vintage in Burgundy stood out for early budbreak at the end of March, followed by ideal flowering in early May. The summer was notably dry and hot, making 2020 the driest vintage since 1945. Veraison began in mid-July, running a month ahead. An anticyclonic system that settled in early September brought welcome coolness, allowing the grapes to reach optimal phenolic ripeness while preserving remarkable acidity. Harvest began around September 13 under ideal weather conditions, producing wines that combine concentration, freshness, and exceptional elegance.

Winemaking and aging

The Volnay Village 2020 grapes are harvested by hand in small eight-kilogram crates, then meticulously sorted. After destemming, alcoholic fermentation starts spontaneously with indigenous yeasts and lasts six to eight days, with punch-downs and pump-overs adjusted as needed. The wine is then transferred by gravity into carefully selected oak barrels, with a proportion of new oak ranging from 0% to 50%. Aging takes place on fine lees for twelve to twenty months, without racking. Malolactic fermentation is deliberately delayed and occurs around six months after harvest. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration.

Grape variety

100% pinot noir