1998 Volnay Les Taillepieds 1er Cru

Jacques d'Angerville has a very strong set of '99s in the works, despite having produced close to 50 hectoliters per hectare. "There were a lot of grapes, but the grapes were small," explained d'Angerville son-in-law Renaud de Vilette. "Both acidity and sugar levels were higher than those of '98. The '98s have a more grilled taste, due in part to sunburn in early August, and this characteristic reinforces the natural dryness of these wines." The domain has given its fruit a pre-fermentation cold soak since 1995. Part of the Volnay Champans and the Clos des Ducs are vinified in cuves in which automatic pigeage is done, but d'Angerville uses only a twice-daily remontage for his other wines, never punching down the cap manually. Vilette noted that some acidification was needed during the vinification of the low-acid 2000 harvest, but not in '99 or '98.

The April 15 frost in '98 left the vines in a fragile state, reported Jacques d'Angerville. Then, sunburn during the heat of early August further reduced crop loads, leaving barely half a harvest, just 18 hectoliters per hectare. There was no rot, said d'Angerville, but the grapes were dry and had very little juice. "The result is a set of ample, concentrated, solid wines with excellent length-but a little austere. It may be necessary to wait ten years to enjoy them."