Domaine Marquis d'Angerville, Volnay 1er Cru Champans, 1997

For over a century, d'Angerville has been the name that defines Volnay — the reference domaine for the appellation's signature marriage of finesse and length. Champans is one of its finest Premier Crus, a mid-slope site historically singled out as a Tete de Cuvee, adding a touch more generosity and power to that classic Volnay silk. This bottle comes from the 1997 vintage, a ripe and generous year, and at nearly three decades old it is fully mature — the tannins long since resolved into something soft and secondary. This is a wine to open now, not to wait on. A rare chance to taste benchmark Volnay at its peak.