Michel Lafarge
A Volnay based domaine, Michel Lafarge is run by the father-son duo of Michel and Frederic, who pursue a rigorous course of biodynamics in their production in order to maintain vineyard health and minimise the necessity for modern technology. The emphasis is on traditional viticulture and therefore they have a balanced approach to the management of yields, vine age and employ of new oak. As a result the domaine is run by the intuition of the Lafarge family; clearly, to great effect.
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(1x75cl) 2019Jancis Robinson (18.5+)
Really intense with crackling edges to it somehow. Powerful and round and sumptuous. Very long indeed.$411.00 -
Jancis Robinson (18.5+)
Really intense with crackling edges to it somehow. Powerful and round and sumptuous. Very long indeed.$2,840.00 -
Wine Advocate (94-96+)
The 2020 Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs is liable to overshadow even the emblematic Clos des Chênes this year. Offering up a profound bouquet of blackberries, sweet spices, rose petals, orange rind, summer truffles and forest floor, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and immensely concentrated, with lively acids, abundant but almost imperceptible tannins and a long, saline finish.$238.00 -
(4x75cl) 2020Wine Advocate (94-96+)
The 2020 Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs is liable to overshadow even the emblematic Clos des Chênes this year. Offering up a profound bouquet of blackberries, sweet spices, rose petals, orange rind, summer truffles and forest floor, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and immensely concentrated, with lively acids, abundant but almost imperceptible tannins and a long, saline finish.$1,245.00 -
$3,025.00 -
(12x75cl) 1997Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (88-91)
Medium red. Brighter, more perfumed aromas of cherry, tobacco and leather. Less sweet and more serious in the mouth, with a larger structure and better clarity of flavor. But here the dusty tannins come across as less sweet. Frederic Lafarge, incidentally, prefers the Chateau des Ducs today, saying that it's more representative of the '97 vintage.$5,150.00 -
Vinous (93)
Good dark red with ruby tones. Very sexy, mellow scents and flavors of raspberry, plum, spices and truffley underbrush. Wonderfully broad and full but fresh as well; at once tangy and savory in the mid-palate, spreading out to saturate the entire mouth. Very ripe but not particularly sweet, finishing with broad, dusty, very fine-grained tannins and terrific length. Frédéric Lafarge described 1999 as an immense vintage and he wasn't just speaking about yields, which in the case of this wine was a very reasonable 39 hectoliters per hectare.$3,275.00 -
Vinous (93)
Good deep red-ruby color. Black fruits, violet and pepper on the nose, with a suggestion of oak spice. Large-scaled, lush and vinous, with full but juicy flavors of dark berries and violet. This, too, boasts lovely restrained sweetness. A wine of huge phenolic material, with the dusty tannins coating the entire palate. Here's a 2003 that calls for a good decade of aging and may well evolve in bottle for 20 years or more.$236.00 -
(6x75cl) 2005Vinous (95+)
Full ruby-red. Pure, complex but restrained nose offers blackberry, black cherry, licorice, spices and black pepper. Wonderfully intense and vibrant, with a compellingly chewy texture and great thrust to the highly concentrated dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors. The fine-grained tannins spread out to saturate the palate of this powerfully structured Volnay, with the wine's perfume lingering in the mouth for minutes. I asked Frederic when the estate last made a Clos des Chenes as good as this, and he replied that it's the best since the '61. Extended bottle aging may well bring an even higher rating. Volnay doesn't get much better than this.$2,670.00 -
(12x75cl) 2006Vinous (92+)
Good medium red. High-pitched aromas of cherry, mint and flowers. Supple and seamless, with nicely integrated acidity giving the wine an impression of energy. I like this Volnay's impression of medicinal reserve. A very rich and deep wine, building impressively on the back end and finishing with noteworthy subtlety. Youthfully unevolved, with a lot more to come$3,070.00 -
Vinous (92+)
Good medium red. High-pitched aromas of cherry, mint and flowers. Supple and seamless, with nicely integrated acidity giving the wine an impression of energy. I like this Volnay's impression of medicinal reserve. A very rich and deep wine, building impressively on the back end and finishing with noteworthy subtlety. Youthfully unevolved, with a lot more to come$209.00 -
Wine Advocate (96+)
Tasted blind, the 2015 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes is utterly superb, unfurling in the glass with a complex bouquet of raw cocoa, rose petal, orange rind and red berries that's already very nuanced. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, multidimensional and incredibly deep, with supple, satiny tannins, juicy acids and considerable concentration. Tasted among its peers, this Clos des Chênes is in a different class and confirms its status as one of a small handful of red wines of the vintage in the Côte de Beaune. It's a profound Volnay that will be incredibly long-lived.$2,335.00 -
(6x75cl) 2017Vinous (94-96)
The 2017 Volnay Clos des Chênes 1er Cru has a deep, broody, almost surly bouquet that gradually unfolds in the glass to reveal blackberry, raspberry and briary aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with firm and grippy tannin on the entry. This feels saline in the mouth, very focused and almost symmetrical in style, building towards a smooth and very harmonious, yet grippy finish that lingers in the mouth. Outstanding.$1,775.00 -
Vinous (94-96)
The 2018 Volnay Clos des Chênes 1er Cru has a lilting bouquet of red cherry, cranberry and raspberry aromas with chalky notes tucked in just underneath. The palate is the most structured of Lafarge’s 2018s, displaying fine grip but comparable elegance that defines the finish. There is real succulence here, and wonderful persistence, plus a little bitterness that keeps you coming back for another sip. Outstanding.$242.00 -
(6x75cl) 2019Vinous (93-95)
The 2019 Volnay Clos des Chênes 1er Cru has a pretty and exceptionally pure bouquet with red cherries, kirsch, cranberry and crushed limestone aromas that soar from the glass. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, a little chewiness towards the finish, dense with a grippy, broody finish. This will require time - a Volnay with a bit of "grunt".$1,800.00 -
Wine Advocate (94-96+)
The 2020 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes wafts from the glass with aromas of cassis, dark berry fruit and plums mingled with notions of warm spices, orange rind, rose petals and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's pure and vibrant, with lively acids, ripe tannins and a long, penetrating finish. It's a magical wine in the making.$253.00 -
(1x75cl) 2005Vinous (94+)
Deep red with ruby highlights. Distinctly purple aromas of blackberry, violet and menthol. Silky on entry, then considerably subtler and suaver than the Chateau des Ducs, with lovely finesse of texture and superb building fruit. Highly concentrated, young and impeccably balanced Volnay, finishing with sweet tannins and a whiplash of fruit. Much more accessible today than the Chateau des Ducs, but this too will reward extended cellaring.$474.00 -
(12x75cl) 2005Vinous (89-92)
Good deep red. Discreet aromas of black cherry and minerals. Juicy, pure and fine-grained but a bit youthfully withdrawn in the middle palate. Then quite suave and palate-saturating toward the back, finishing with a fine dusting of tannins and a note of bitter chocolate. From redder soil, which gives a very fine Volnay style, says Lafarge.$2,050.00 -
Vinous (90-92)
(from a mix of 40- and 60-year-old vines): Good bright red. Less showy on the nose today than the 1er cru, with a distinctly darker fruit character and strong spiciness. Then juicy and sweet but a bit youthfully dry-edged on the palate, with noteworthy definition to the flavors of black cherry and licorice. Finishes with very good length and backbone. This wine should benefit from the sweetening influence of a racking.$138.00 -
(6x75cl) 2011Vinous (90-92)
(from a mix of 40- and 60-year-old vines): Good bright red. Less showy on the nose today than the 1er cru, with a distinctly darker fruit character and strong spiciness. Then juicy and sweet but a bit youthfully dry-edged on the palate, with noteworthy definition to the flavors of black cherry and licorice. Finishes with very good length and backbone. This wine should benefit from the sweetening influence of a racking.$1,035.00 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2018 Volnay Les Mitans 1er Cru has an absolutely glorious bouquet of perfumed black cherries, blueberry, potpourri and light violet aromas that are understated and yet focused and delineated. The palate is medium-bodied with a precise opening, and very harmonious and sensual. Pure, mineral-driven red fruit defines the effortless finish. Stunning.$822.00 -
(12x75cl) 2020Wine Advocate (92-94)
Opening in the glass with aromas of cassis, plums, rose petals and sweet soil tones, the 2020 Volnay 1er Cru Mitans is medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a concentrated core of fruit, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins, concluding with a perfumed finish.$1,560.00 -
Wine Advocate (92-94)
Opening in the glass with aromas of cassis, plums, rose petals and sweet soil tones, the 2020 Volnay 1er Cru Mitans is medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a concentrated core of fruit, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins, concluding with a perfumed finish.$171.00 -
Wine Advocate (91-93)
The 2016 Volnay 1er Cru Pitures comes from chalky soils strewn with small stones, and like last year, it will be only bottled in magnum. It has plenty of black cherry and blackcurrant fruit on the nose, lively and pretty, just a subtle black olive note developing in the glass. The palate is very well balanced with succulent ripe tannin, well structured with a sorbet-like freshness, the finish offering blood orange and tangerine among the red berry fruit. Superb. Grab one of those mags.$348.00 -
$519.00 -
Vinous (92-94)
The 2018 Volnay Les Pitures 1er Cru, which is only bottled in magnums, has wonderful detail and precision on a nose of black cherries and hints of cassis mixed with incense and iris petals. The medium-bodied palate delivers supple tannins. Fleshy and generous, with a gentle grip on the linear and slightly meaty finish. Superb.$519.00 -
(1x150cl) 2019$365.00 -
(12x75cl) 2005$826.00 -
(12x75cl) 2010Vinous (89-91)
The 2010 Volnay blossoms onto the palate with refined dark red berries. This is a supple, generous Volnay endowed with gorgeous inner perfume and terrific overall balance. A juicy, generous finish rounds things out in style.$1,710.00 -
Wine Advocate (90-92)
The 2016 Volnay Village was reduced to a single cuvée just like it was back in 2012. It has a lovely, detailed bouquet with red cherries, crushed strawberry and crushed stone aromas. The palate is a mixture of Pommard’s structure and the elegance of Volnay, saline in the mouth so that you can feel the saliva flowing. I love the energy and vivid character of this Volnay that will give several years, possibly a decade of drinking pleasure.$290.00
