The 2018 Volnay Clos du Château des Ducs 1er Cru was de-stalked by hand, a practice incepted with the 2016 vintage. It demands more coaxing from the glass, but reveals wonderful violet-infused red currant, cranberry and wild cherry aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy ripe tannins and great depth but gentle grip. This is your quintessential iron fist in a velvet glove. Wonderful spiciness lingers for more than 60 seconds on the finish. Stunning.

It will be very interesting to compare the 2018 Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs with the Clos des Chênes 20 years from now. Though the latter has long been the domaine's emblematic bottling, for several years the Lafarge family has taken to presenting Clos du Château des Ducs at the end of the tasting, and it's priced slightly higher too. Destemmed entirely by hand, the wine reveals a generous bouquet of sweet berries, licorice, rich soil tones, black truffles and spice, followed by a medium to full-bodied palate that's more expressive and enveloping, its textural attack segueing into a deep core, concluding with a long and precise finish.