Joseph Paget Volnay 2023

This sultry French red was grown outside the village of Volnay and came to us a bit clandestinely. The producer is mysterious, but the wine spills the story: silky, savory Burgundy! If you’re a Burgundy fan, you know this is a screaming deal.

Not much of anything is shared publicly about the label, but the rumor is that Joseph Paget is connected to a top Côte de Beaune producer. (Yes, fine to skip to your cart now!) That was enough for this 2023 to get our attention, then the wine itself sealed the deal. The nose sits somewhere between charcuterie board and damp forest floor, with bay leaf and cardamom delineating the sensuous, peppery atmosphere. There's something tangy and tropical underneath, like passionfruit, then cranberry pulls you into classy toned-fruit territory. This is so clearly Old World Pinot Noir – it feels like a place. Ahh, nothing like it.

In the mouth, it’s medium bodied, and we start with a flash of matchstick reduction that signals this is going to get quite exquisite as it opens in the glass. What unfurls is somehow satiny and rocky at the same time, warm and savory, with tart cherry acid and crushed raspberry riding fine tannins, then rose petals falling wistfully into the finish. Give it 15 minutes in the refrigerator in the summer to shift it into a refreshing gear with mushroom pizza on a hot night. In the cold months, this is your treat with beef bourguignon on the weekend, for sure. Enjoy the mystery!