Domaine Huber-Verdereau, Volnay "Les Lurets"

In Burgundy you often have to kiss a lot of frogs to find the prince — but not today. It’s becoming harder by the minute to find serious Burgundy that doesn’t demand a serious price tag, but every once in a while everything aligns: a tiny, world-class village like Volnay — a wine made from 1943 vines — the kind of place you can drive through in seconds, past a few barking dogs, stone houses, and quiet cellars that smell faintly of aging Pinot Noir, and a barely-known producer quietly making microscopic quantities of absolute gold. That’s exactly what we have today. And if you often find yourself hesitant to spend money on Burgundy because it disappoints more than it delights, this wine is a guaranteed relief. The 2020 Les Lurets is a direct hit: the nose is literal perfection, a dense swirl of wild-berry fruit, umami, dark earth, and that haunting Burgundy perfume we all chase. For roughly $15 a glass, this is pure fire.

Volnay is one of Burgundy’s crown-jewel communes, a paradox of understatement and pedigree. Despite its tiny size and tranquil, almost monastic vibe, nearly 60% of its vineyard surface is classified Premier Cru — an astonishing concentration of elite terroir. Les Lurets sits in this historic cradle, just down the slope from the great Clos des Chênes, on the village-side portion of the vineyard where limestone dominates over clay, from 1943-planted vines rooted deep in Volnay’s limestone that naturally produce tiny bunches with remarkable concentration and lift.

Domaine Huber-Verdereau may have been officially founded by Thiébault Huber in 1994, but its roots stretch back to the 19th century through generations of the Verdereau family in Volnay. Today the domaine covers about 9.5 hectares across Volnay, Pommard, and Meursault, and since 2005 Thiébault has converted everything to certified organic and biodynamic farming under Demeter. In the cellar he’s the definition of minimalist precision: hand-harvesting into small 50L crates, double-sorting in the vines and again in the vat room, and vinifying with a gentle hand. For Les Lurets 2020, that meant 30% whole clusters, a six-day cold soak, concrete-tank fermentation with light pigeage every three days, daily pump-overs, and about 24 days total on skins before aging for 16 months in French Allier barrels — just 10% new. No batonnage, no unnecessary filtration. Just purity.

The wine itself is a study in precision and seduction. The nose opens with wild strawberry, redcurrant, black raspberry, and freshly crushed violets before drifting into warm iron, sous-bois, dried rose petals, and a gorgeous thread of umami — shiitake broth, faint meat and soy, and a touch of truffle. On the palate it fans out with effortless grace: silky tannins, a cool mineral edge, perfectly ripe red fruit, and that lifted, ethereal Volnay perfume that hangs for a full minute. The finish is long, fine, and feathered with forest floor, wet tree bark, and wild flowers drifting together in a soft, earthy echo that pulls you back to the glass again and again. It’s the kind of Burgundy you keep smelling even after the glass is empty.

Serve just below cellar temperature — 55–58°F is ideal — preferably in Burgundy stems to let the aromatics glide. A gentle 20–30 minute decant softens the structure and uncurls the perfume. Pair it with roast chicken and herbs, duck breast, mushroom risotto, seared salmon, or anything involving porcini, truffle, thyme, or game birds. But honestly, this is also the perfect “Tuesday-night Burgundy” — the bottle that turns a simple dinner into something quietly unforgettable.