Volnay Premier Cru Clos des Chênes

The Clos des Chênes stretches southwest of the village of Volnay, where the commune's vineyards meet those of Monthélie. With about 15.4 hectares delimited, it is the largest Premier Cru within the commune: only the Santenots are larger, but they lie in Meursault. Next to Taille Pieds and above Les Caillerets and Champans, it climbs between about 285 and 320 meters and faces southeast.

Chênes is French for “oaks.” A geological description quoted by Jules Lavalle in 1855 places the vineyard on a thick bed of white marls, beneath the limestone escarpments that rise between Volnay and Monthélie. The Volnay appellation rules link the climats of the upper slope, where the marl lies close to the surface, to wines of greater density and aromatic intensity. Like all Volnay, it is red only, from Pinot Noir; the available bottles are listed at the bottom of the page.