Residuals

At the start of the year we had as our guests the Ally Pally Helly couple, and they were very generous leaving us bottles of wine to consume at our leisure.  We’ve worked our way through most of them, and one bottle was kept back for a situation which might have appropriately interested whoever we had visiting.  The I-Spy Man was in town and it was time to bring out the residual of our guest’s generosity

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Who’d think a 1996 Christophe Vaudoisey Volnay might be holding up well?  After all, it was a village wine at 18 years old, from an appellation better known for beauty and finesse rather than structure and longevity.  But then again the vintage was pretty good.  Out with the cork, and mahogany red.  Interesting and complex tertiary aromas of earth, undergrowth and dried herbs, along with truffle and resinous seasoned oak.  High-toned still and Volnay aromatics for sure.  Then more surly than expected on palate.  This would have been quite a big wine in its youth.  Concentrated, savoury, undergrowth, and resinous with the taste of the mahogany colour.  Smooth flowing for all its substance, the tannins resolved.  A bit gamey and old woody, not decrepit in anyway.   And a wonderful line of acidity keeping it sweet enough for another glass, followed by another glass. 

 

Ally Pally Helly, you can rest assured that SWMBO, the I-Spy Man and I enjoyed it to the last drop.  No residuals.