Domaine Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru Mitans 2021
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The Land
The famous Volnay 1er Crus sit above the village on thin limestone. Mitans goes the other way. It lies downslope from Volnay at roughly 250 meters, and Rossignol calls it the lowest of the commune's 1ers Crus. The incline is gentle and the exposure faces slightly south of east, catching the morning sun. The soil is deep, dense, brown clay, with only about a fifth of the surface scattered with limestone gravel. In a commune known for lacy, high-toned Pinot Noir, that heavier clay gives Mitans a rounder, juicier core, while the limestone gravel keeps a cool, saline streak through the finish. This is Volnay red wine for people who want texture first and minerality second.
The Wine
Domaine Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru Mitans 2021 is 100% Pinot Noir. In recent vintages the fruit has been fully destemmed and the wine raised in French oak with about 15 percent new barrels, after a native-yeast fermentation, a malolactic held back until spring, and no racking before an unfined, unfiltered bottling. The 2021 crop was one of the smallest in living memory. A hard frost on the nights of April 6 to 8 caught the vines in early bud, then a cool, wet summer added mildew pressure, and Volnay was among the hardest-hit villages in the Côte de Beaune. What survived made lighter, fresher, more transparent reds. Expect red cherry, raspberry, and violet with a little spice, a supple, juicy middle, fine-grained tannin, and the saline freshness Rossignol sees as this site's signature.
The People
Domaine Nicolas Rossignol began in 1997 with three hectares inherited from an uncle. Rossignol had already been making wine at his family's Domaine Rossignol-Jeanniard since 1994, and for years he ran both. In 2011 the two estates merged under his name, bringing together close to 30 appellations across Volnay, Pommard, Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Aloxe-Corton, and Pernand-Vergelesses, and in 2014 he added more Pommard. In 2016 he moved everything into a new winery on the edge of Beaune after years of working in borrowed space, including a stretch sharing Benjamin Leroux's cellar. Mitans is one of the newest pieces of the puzzle: 2018 was his first vintage from it, which makes this 2021 only its fourth release. In a deep lineup, it is the 1er Cru Rossignol himself names as the one to drink first.
Food Pairing
Mitans from a frost-thinned year wants food with some delicacy. Roast a spatchcocked chicken over sliced potatoes with lemon and thyme; the acidity handles the crisp skin and pan juices. Seared salmon on French lentils with a red wine and shallot butter works because the supple tannin and red fruit meet the fish without turning metallic. A mushroom and leek tart plays the earthier side against buttery pastry, and pork tenderloin roasted with red grapes and rosemary echoes the fruit. Serve it slightly cool, around 60°F. This is the 1er Cru Burgundy for a weeknight when you want something better than the usual bottle without waiting a decade.
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Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
Burgundy, in eastern France, encompasses several subregions, but it is the Côte d'Or that is home to many of the world's most expensive and revered wines. The region, primarily a single east-facing slope, has mixed limestone soils that vary dramatically from village to village and even vineyard to vineyard. White wines, crafted from Chardonnay, range from rich and opulent to lean and intensely mineral, while Pinot Noir produces silky, perfumed red wines of exceptional finesse and complexity. Centuries of winemaking tradition have resulted in every plot being meticulously recognized and scrutinized, making the Côte d'Or a true capital of terroir.
Burgundy - Cote d'Or
Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned, notoriously difficult-to-grow, low-yielding grape that finds its ancestral home in Burgundy, France, where it produces some of the world's most elegant and nuanced wines. While Burgundy remains its spiritual heartland, Pinot Noir has since traveled the globe, finding success in other cooler climates, notably in California, Oregon, New Zealand, and Germany. This grape is a challenge for any grower, as it requires specific conditions to show its best, and yet the wines it produces are capable of such a captivating and singular character.
