Inviting aromas of dark berries, plums, cinnamon, warm spices, blood orange and rose petals introduce the 2019 Volnay 1er Cru Les Santenots-du-Milieu, a medium to full-bodied, ample and succulent wine with a fleshy core of fruit, melting tannins and a long, perfumed finish.

The 2018 Volnay 1er Cru Les Santenots-du-Milieu opens in the glass with notes of smoky berry fruit, spices and wilted rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, supple and concentrated, it's lively and dynamic, framed by bright acids and powdery tannins. More introverted than its regional appellation sibling, it will demand a bit of bottle age.

Aromas of smoky plums, raw cocoa, strawberries, herbs and a subtle framing of new oak introduce the 2017 Volnay 1er Cru Les Santenots-du-Milieu, which is medium to full-bodied, ample and open-knit, with light back-end tannin and a profile that's strongly marked by whole-cluster vinification.

Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2014 tasting, the 2014 Volnay 1er Cru Les Santenots-du-Milieu from Arnaud Ente seems to show a lot of stem addition on the nose. It feels conspicuous at the moment, but there is sufficient fruit to support and absorb that with time. The palate is medium-bodied with that stalkiness coming through again. But there is cohesion and focus here, and its feels persistent in the mouth. Hopefully it will just gain more cohesion and knit together with a few years in bottle. Tasted September 2017.

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. Pale ruby in color, the Volnay Santenots-du-Milieu 2011 has a rather smudged nose: touches of cranberry and bergamot, quite stemmy and a little raw. The palate is sharp and feels rather hard. There is good acidity, but the finish is stiff and obdurate. I find this too severe for a Volnay, especially a Santenots.