2016 Michel Lafarge Volnay Clos des Chenes 1er Cru

Vinous/Neal Martin 95 – “The 2016 Volnay Clos des Chênes 1er Cru has an exquisitely defined bouquet with pure red cherry mixed with crushed strawberry, disarming mineralité and tension. The palate is beautifully balanced, symmetrical even, with a fine bead of acidity, well integrated new oak, a little fleshiness towards the finish, simply everything you could desire from a Volnay. Stunning. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting in Burgundy.”
Burghound 95 – “Interestingly this is aromatically similar to the Caillerets except that it’s not as spicy and much earthier. There is excellent size, weight and intensity to the big-bodied and equally mineral-driven flavors that evidence plenty of both muscle and power while delivering superb length on the very firmly structured and youthfully austere finale. Like the Pitures, this is textbook.”
John Gilman 95+ – “The 2016 Clos des Chênes from Domaine Lafarge is already showing enormous complexity on both the nose and palate and is a great, great wine in the making. The bouquet delivers a magical mélange of cassis, black plums, dark chocolate, gamebird, woodsmoke, violets and a gloriously complex base of dark soil tones. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and very refined, with a sappy core, lovely transparency, fine-grained tannins and a very long, tangy and elegant finish. This will be stunning when it is fully mature!”