An Ode to Volnay
photo 1.
2019 Pierrick Bouley Volnay ‘Les Pluchots’
Charles Gounod Je veux vivre from Roméo et Juliette
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Every time I take a sip of thoughtfully crafted wine, vivid images or musical melodies appear in my mind. The speed at which these impressions arise varies, ranging from immediately after the first sip to sometimes an hour later, after I have jotted down my initial thoughts in my notebook. The 2019 Pierrick Bouley Volnay ‘Les Pluchots’ belongs to the former category. Although the wine was still very young when uncorked, it managed to evoke both vivid images and a song I had forgotten about.
This wine had a vibrant ruby color. Upon the initial nosing, I detected floral aromas, hints of charred wood, and earthy tones. The initial tastes revealed notes of red cherry, raspberry, a subtle touch of leather, and delicate flowers. As I indulged in the wine, it conjured images of a patch of wild raspberry trees in a forest and a singer in a captivating red dress. The wine continued to evolve, and more pronounced floral notes emerged, creating a harmonious mariage of elegance and splendor.
This wine was recommended to us by Yoomin from Somm Cellars. Although I could not attend their Jura class, my wife did and had the opportunity to speak with Yoomin. She mentioned our love for Jérôme Galeyrand’s masterful winemaking, particularly highlighting our enjoyment of his 2019 Marsannay ‘Combe du Pré’ and 2020 Fixin ‘Champs de Vosger.’ Yoomin recommended this particular producer, Pierrick Bouley, suggesting that we would appreciate his wines if we liked Galeyrand’s style. And he was absolutely right.
photo 2. Pan-seared whole chicken leg topped with strawberry rhubarb sauce & roasted vegetables and mushrooms.
Over the course of dinner, this wine developed significantly and continued to showcase its potential. The well-balanced blend of floral and fruity qualities reminded me of Galeyrand’s 2019 Marsannay ‘Combe du Pré,’ although this particular wine had an intriguing hint of smokiness. After two hours, I began to detect anise, licorice, and cinnamon notes in the wine. These notes grew more complex while the smokiness remained prominent. In the aftertaste, I noticed a hint of nuttiness, specifically peanut. This wine revealed a simple yet beautiful character, concealing a hidden complexity that adds to its overall personality. I paired this wine with a pan-seared whole chicken leg topped with strawberry rhubarb sauce and an ensemble of roasted vegetables, including radish, scallion, sweet pepper, wild mushroom, and fennel leaf, which added an additional layer of aroma. The smokiness of the wine complemented the caramelized chicken skin perfectly, and the combination of fennel leaf and mushroom blended harmoniously with the wine's earthy and spicy notes.
It wasn't easy to resist savoring this wine, but I managed to control myself and save some for the following day. On the second day, I felt a sense of anticipation to discover whether the wine would reveal any hidden characteristics or lose its charm entirely. There was only one way to find out. The aroma of the wine became even more pronounced than the previous night, almost reminiscent of a perfume. Every note that I had detected earlier was amplified, and there was an additional note of strawberry pedicel. On the palate, I experienced darker fruits such as prune and black plum, dried fruits like raisin and dried plum, the white part of strawberry flesh, and a slight hint of rhubarb's bitterness. The wine gracefully unfolded, showcasing a completely different personality while maintaining its remarkable structure.
These are the notes I experienced over the course of two days: a bouquet of flowers, charred wood, forest floor, red cherry, raspberry, leather, anise, licorice, cinnamon, strawberry pedicel, black cherry, black plum, prune, dried plum, raisin, and rhubarb.
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Those two days of tasting this fine jewel brought absolute joy. Another delightful moment occurred when I eventually recalled Gounod’s Je veux vivre from Roméo et Juliette, a song that had slipped my mind for many years. Initially, I could not remember which opera it belonged to or its composer; only the melody lingered in my thoughts. It took me about ten minutes to delve deeper into my memory and uncover the source of the song. At first, I mistook it for Gounod’s Ah, je ris de me voir from Faust, but I soon realized that it was not the song I had in mind. Then, suddenly, the lyrics Je veux vivre resurfaced in my memory. I typed the lyrics and was able to retrieve the song that had been buried deep within. I was particularly surprised that my initial recollection was of a different song, though I had correctly identified the composer. The last time I had heard either of these songs was probably over a decade ago, yet this wine stirred something within me, helping me recall them.
I can see some connections between them. The youthful characteristics of the wine, upon uncorking, might have sparked a connection to young Juliette’s hopes and dreams, considering that, at this point in the story, we are uncertain about how her life will unfold. The only difference is that this wine did not share the same fate, unlike what we all anticipate when we read ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ I enjoyed discovering immense joy from Gounod’s Je veux vivre from Roméo et Juliette and Pierrick Bouley’s 2019 Volany ‘Les Pluchots,’ as both possess elegant yet resplendent qualities.
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Below are my favorite recordings of Gounod’s Je veux vivre. Click the photos to listen to them.
Renée Fleming · London Philharmonic Orchestra · Sir Charles Mackerras
Kathleen Battle · Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Paris · Myung-Whun Chung
Morris, Jasper. “Volnay.” In Inside Burgundy, 504–16. London: Berry Bros. & Rudd Press, 2021.
. “Domaine Pierrick Bouley (Réyane & Pascal Bouley).” In Inside Burgundy, 518. London: Berry Bros. & Rudd Press, 2021.