Size: 0.90 ha (2.22 ac)
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vine Age: Planted 1951-1971
Terroir: Shallow, red clay soils on limestone. Located at the intersection of the 4 premier cru vineyards of Volnay: Clos des Chênes, Les Caillerets, Taille Pieds, and En Champans. Moderate slope facing southeast.
Viticulture: Certified organic (Ecocert) and biodynamic (Demeter)
Vinification: 100% de-stemmed, pneumatic pressing, indigenous yeast fermentation, light settling. Aged for 18 months, unfiltered.
beckywasserman.com
"Lafarge's Clos des Chênes 2023 is a superb wine. The initial attack boasts ripe plum and blackberry fruit with floral notes and a savoury edge, which Frédéric Lafarge puts down to the high iron content of the soil. This year, the density and tannic grip from this vineyard are impressive, perhaps even better than Les Caillerets (also delightful); this has a similar profile but more weight. The wine should open in three to five years and drink well over the next three decades." Decanter 96p
"Not surprisingly, the 2023 Clos des Chênes from Domaine Lafarge is a stunning wine in the making. The bouquet is pure, precise and complex, wafting from the glass in a blend of red and black plums, black cherries, raw cocoa, pigeon, violets, peonies, a marvelously complex base of soil tones, woodsmoke, cedar and just a touch of mustard seed in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, refined and sappy at the core, with beautiful soil signature, fine-grained tannins, perfect balance and a long, complex and very precise, dancing finish. Magical wine in the making. (Drink between 2040-2090)" John Gilman 95p
"Note: from 45+ year old vines that sit just above Champans. Cool, airy and intricately layered aromas of various red berries, violet and spice are trimmed in soft earth nuances. There is both excellent volume and delineation to the larger-bodied and tautly muscular flavors that also flash an abundance of minerality on the compact, built-to-age and wonderfully long finish. As it usually is, this is a blend of power and refinement." Burghound Sweet Spot Outstanding!
