The old, short goblet trained vines growing in this favoured corner of Brouilly, sit on bluey-purple layers of manganese soil (les roches bleues) under the 1585 foot Mont Brouilly. The summit of Brouilly has also been a place of worship since 1857, when a chapel was built for the protection of the vines from oidium (vine mildew). This wine was crafted from a parcel of vines in a single domaine near the summit of this long extinct volcano (hence Volcan in the name of the wine). Grapes are hand-picked and whole-berry fermented for 5-8 days (maceration carbonique) followed by a further 2 or 3 on the skins in order to keep plenty of aromatic young fruit yet add a splash of subtle tannins to give greater weight.
