Another beautiful Volnay from this producer, the 2018 Volnay Les Vieilles Vignes shows the warmth of the vintage in its ripe, sexy perfume of red and black fruits, dried flowers, spice box, and loamy earth. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it offers silky tannins, loads of sweet fruit, and outstanding length on the finish. The purity of fruit as well as the quality of the tannins are brilliant, and this can be enjoyed any time over the coming 15 years or so.

Touches of earth and mocha hover above the glass but swirling brings ripe cherry notes to the fore. The palate of this wine blends tart red fruit with much darker berry notes, reminiscent of black currant with a menthol sheen. The body is concentrated and tarry oak notes fill all the gaps in this fine web.

A sleek, well-defined style, featuring a laser of cherry and currant flavors and a supporting cast of mineral and oak spice. It's firm, with tactile tannins guarding the finish, staying balanced and long. Best from 2023 through 2035.

The 2018 Volnay Les Vieilles Vignes has a mixture of black and blue fruit on the nose, demonstrating a little more precision that Girardin's other cuvees this vintage. The oak is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, quite saline in the mouth with a harmonious finish that annoyingly cuts away a little swiftly. Give it another year in bottle and hopefully bottle age will shave some of its edges.