2002 Volnay

Boillot's 2003s were in floating-top tanks in his cold garage (they had been racked for the first time in October), awaiting bottling before Christmas.Boillot acidified the musts lightly for the fermentations."Just a correction for the pHs, which allows the potassium to precipitate out of the wines," he explained."If acidification is done later, the tartaric acidity always exists next to the wine, rather than being absorbed."Boillot shortened his normal cold soak due to the percentage of dried grapes, then did a total of three punchdowns during the fermentation, compared to a normal two per day.Boillot told me that the terroir character came back faster with his 2003 whites, and that this was just beginning to happen to his reds at the time of my visit. Boillot began harvesting on August 23, and generally picked with potential alcohols in the 12.8% to 13.2% range.Yields ranged between 20 and 28 hectoliters per hectare, according to Boillot.(Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)

In theory, the 2002s have a perfect balance, while, in theory, the 2003s don't," said Boillot in November, adding that he acidified his chardonnays in 2003 for the first time. In 2002 we had a healthy harvest, with clean grapes that did not require much sorting.The wines may not be great agers but they will last well, and they'll probably be good at all stages of their evolution."Incidentally, Boillot feels that his Pommards are a bit more harmonious than his Volnays in 2002, as in 2001.His explanation: the hail that fell in Volnay in August of 2001 also stressed the vines even through the 2002 growing season.(Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL)