2015 Domaine Michel Lafarge, Volnay Premier Cru, Clos des Chenes 1x750ml

Vinous 93

The 2015 Volnay Clos des Chenes 1er Cru has a clean, pure bouquet with more blue fruit than its peers, and offers good detail and poise; hints of pencil box emerge with time, in tandem with damp moss. The palate is medium-bodied, with what feels like some stem addition on the entry, lending freshness and contrast to the red fruit. The persistent, velvety finish shows just a very slight touch of VA on the aftertaste. Yet overall, this is a commendable Clos des Chenes, and it ameliorates in the glass over 10 to 15 minutes. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting. [Neal Martin, 13/11/2018]

Anticipated maturity: 2021-2050

Robert Parker 96+

"Tasted blind, the 2015 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chenes 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 Chenes is in a different class and confirms its status as one of a small handful of red wines of the vintage in the Cote de Beaune. It’s a profound Volnay that will be incredibly long-lived." [William Kelley, 31/10/2018]

Anticipated maturity: 2025-2070