2014 Michel Lafarge Volnay Clos des Chenes

The 2014 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chenes has slightly darker fruit than the Caillerets, perhaps just a little broodier but utterly compelling, with a hint of black tea in the background. The palate is very well balanced with succulent ripe tannin. This has wonderful structure and symmetry with a composed and refined finish that lingers long in the mouth. Class, class and class on top -- this is one for serious Burgundy lovers that appreciate finesse and refinement, without compensating fruit intensity and flavour. 93-95 points

This comes from a single one hectare parcel of old vines in one of the three best Premiers Crus in Volnay, and it’s a stunning wine in 2014. a refined, haute couture example of the village at its most enticing. Ethereal, delicate and scented, with a butterfly kiss of tannin and sweet raspberry, red cherry and redcurrant fruit. Drink 2017-28. 96 points

(from 45+ year old vines that sit just above Champans). This is also beautifully complex with its broad-ranging nose of red currant, pomegranate, earth, floral and spice-suffused aromas. As is usually the case this is both bigger and more powerful if not quite as elegant with a similar level of mid-palate concentration where the copious dry extract does a fine job of buffering the very firm tannic spine on the explosively long and muscular finish. This brilliant effort always ages extremely well and in 2014 it’s yet again clear that it will need plenty of cellar time. 92-94 points