Joseph Voillot was the fourth generation of his family to manage the Voillot estate. When he passed away in 2014 the streets of Volnay overflowed to pay hommage to him and to what he represented as the past generation of Burgundian wine makers.
Joseph's son in law Jean Pierre took over the reigns of the winery when none of his three daughters wished to follow in his footsteps. Today, Jean Pierre's nephew, Etienne Chaix, represents the new generation of Burgundy. He has modernized what was required at the Chateau, using Diam corks and ceasing the use of herbicides in the vineyards. He maintains the sustainable practices and wine making processes that include de-stemming the grapes.
"It was a great pleasure to revisit Domaine Joseph Voillot and taste with Jean-Pierre Charlot and his nephew Etienne Chaix. As Chaix takes the reins, ably counseled by Charlot, the approach to winemaking hasn't changed: what Charlot calls the "bon sens paysan" prevails, with destemmed grapes, classical macerations and modest percentages of new oak—never more than 15%. In the vineyards, however, developments are afoot: pesticides and herbicides have been banished, a welcome evolution that's facilitated by vintages with low humidity and disease pressure. As ever, these are very classically proportioned wines that really repay bottle age: I recently drank several of the domaine's 1985s, for example, and found them exquisitely perfumed and texturally sumptuous. In short, this address comes recommended." The Wine Advocate 2021
