Burgundy

Domaine Rossignol Changarnier

Volnay

Diminutive but energetic and very hospitable Régis and his (unofficially) adopted son, François, bring well over half a century’s experience to bear on running their 7 hectare estate. Régis’ winemaking philosophy is very much to craft ‘vins de terroir’, and as such he has retained most of the traditions handed down to him by his father. Having said this, he is also keen that his wines excel, so he does modify those practices where he sees room for improvement. For example, since 1995, he has lightly filtered his wines, and he de-stems 80% of his Volnay and 50% of his Beaune. However, the Volnay Premier Cru is macerated with all of the stems, as he says he wants it to be capable of long-term ageing. What effect does practising this heresy of modern winemaking have?

Contrary to what you might expect, the wines do not taste green and stalky, but instead have vibrant fruit. While the Beaune often shows well young, the Volnays normally require 3-4 years’ bottle age.