Terroir in the Cask
Domaine Michel Lafarge
(Volnay)
Michel Lafarge produces some of the finest Volnay wines - intensive, deep wines that can hardly be beaten as far as finesse and elegance are concerned. The Lafarge wines emphasise their Terroir and always express it true to their type. The simpler wines are produced as carefully as the top Premiers Crus. We sampled the 1999 ones from barrel together with Michel Lafarge in his low old cellar. He is very pleased with his 1999 vintage - it is harmonic, show good fruit and will turn out to be delicious Volnays. The harvest of 2000 was promising too. The quantity is slightly lower than in 1999, but still above average, and the quality is highly promising.
Barrel samples:
rot
Bourgogne 1999
Light cherry red. Full-bodied cherry tones and light fruit in the nose and mouth. A rather full-bodied Bourgogne, which originates directly below the Volnay appellation and comes very close to a Volnay. Consistently this should be one of the most recommendable wines of the appellation which is worth keeping for some years of storage.
Volnay 1999
Cherry red. In the nose redcurrants. In the mouth redcurrant leaves and St Lucie cherry. Very elegant. A good wine to study the Volnay type.
Volnay "Vendanges Sélectionnées" 1999
Especially good ripe grapes, grapes of old vines and some Premier Cru fruit are used by Michel Lafarge to create this high-quality wine, which always turns out somewhat more complex and dense than the normal Volnay.
Darker red than the Volnay. Still slight touches of resin in the fragrance. Tobacco. Cherries and touches of elderberry in the finish. Even more closed than the normal Volnay.
Beaune-Grèves 1999
Light, clear ruby red. Lighter and finer in its aromas. Flowers, violets, fine tannin, some venison and tobacco. Relatively closed.
Volnay Clos du Châteaux des Ducs 1999
A monopoly of Lafarge from the 1er Cru climate Les Villages. Darker. More edge and structure than the Beaune. Fine, strong tannin. Slimmer than the Clos des Chênes. Elderberry tones and fine tobacco touches. A very elegant yet structured wine.
Volnay Clos des Chênes 1999
The darkest and most intensive wine in the cellar of Lafarge. Cedar wood and boiled fruit. Obvious pleasant tannin on the tip of the tongue. Full-bodied, complex and long. A fine, almost sumptuous Volnay - a very good wine for long storage
white
Meursault 1999
Light yellow. Lemon, pleasant sweetness. Fresh lemon skin, mineral, wood in the taste and nut touches and butter in the finish. A good typical Meursault.
Bottle samples:
red
Volnay 1998
Dark cherry red. Still somewhat closed. Dark cherries and full fruit. Will be a good vintage.
Volnay Clos du Châteaux des Ducs 1998
Dark blackberry colour. Fine fragrance of boiled dark forest berries. Pleasant wooden touches in the taste, Terroir and dark fruit. Very good structure and a long finish.
Drunk bottle:
Volnay Clos des Chênes 1994
Plum juice red. Very complex fragrance. Elderberry tones, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, cassis, clay soil and paprika. In the mouth spices, nutmeg, light plum, blackcurrants. Still good tannin and slight sweetness. Strong. Will reach its maturity in about two to four years. A very good 1994 wine!
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