The label reads: Reserve du Caveron de Leon Violland; Production du Domaine; Beaune 1er Cru; La Montee Rouge; Appellation Beaune Controlee;
1945; Leon Violland; Proprietaire & Negociant-Elevur a Beaune. The bottle had a heavy red sealing wax capsule. The seal must have been completely air-tight, as I marked the level 25 years ago when the wine was bought, and it did not change at all.
I do not know what to make of this wine. First this is the only wine from Violland I have ever had and La Montee Rouge is nearly never seen where I live. Furthermore I have not tasted a range of Burgundy from
1945. I do know that more than a few wines from this era were "improved". However I have absolutely no provable evidence to suggest that this wine was improved. It is still drinking well, although I am not impressed with the quality and I might easily mistake it for an older Rhone or Italian wine in a blind tasting. The color shows a little age, but is still quite dark - about as dark, or darker, than I would expect a Leroy Chambertin of about this age to be. The nose is better than the taste. There is some root vegetable character and black cherry in the bouquet and taste. There is still some very dry tannin. There is plenty of acid. The taste in general is rather ordinary. Most Beaunes are not know for aging well for such an extended time. I can not say that this wine is "bad to the Beaune", but neither can I say much positive about it either. It did not cost much 25 years ago. A Google search turned up nothing specific about this wine. The firm of Leon Violland apparently still is in business. There are a very few tasting notes and offers for sale of some of the more recent wines.
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