Domaine Pierre Labet (Beaune)
Organic. Cask sample.
Smoky, toasty oak sweetness mingled with ripe lemon fruit. Rich and gently toasty on the palate. More serious and weighty than you might expect from a Bourgogne Côte d’Or. (JH)
Less whole bunch than usual (c 10–25%) because of mildew. Organic. Cask sample.
Lightish crimson. Very ripe fruit character – house style? Hint of dried cherries. Sweet but, for my personal taste, a touch overripe. Smooth, firm tannins. Not sure how this style ages. (JH)
Domaine Michel Lafarge (Volnay)
Matthew writes A year that seemed to suit Domaine Lafarge, whose Volnays veer to the fragrant and light rather than the clichéd notion of an iron fist in a velvet glove. All wines had been racked and returned to the barrels to await bottling in the spring.
From 90-year-old vines. Cask sample.
Mid lemon. Mature apple, honey and citrus on the nose. Medium-bodied. High, lively acid and a slightly grippy, textured finish. (MH)
Vines on the border of Meursault and Volnay, beneath the Santenots vineyard. Red, pebbly soil. Cask sample.
Mid lemon. Apple, lemon and pear. Moderately high, zesty acidity and medium body. Lean. (MH)
Of Lafarge’s 1 ha (2.47 acres) of Les Aigrots, 25 ares are planted to Chardonnay. Cask sample.
Mid lemon. Apple, apple skin and ripe pear. High, zesty acid. Quite compact. (MH)
96-year-old vines, the first bought by Henri Lafarge in 1928. 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Gamay; co-planted and co-fermented. Cask sample.
Pale crimson. Red, concentrated berries of redcurrant, cherry and raspberry. Some floral character and a dry, slightly grippy finish. Freshness, too. (MH)
At the bottom of the slope in Volnay, between the limit of the Volnay village appellation and the D974 road. Cask sample.
Mid to pale ruby. Red cherry, strawberry and quite floral in style. Crisp acidity and fine, elegant tannins. (MH)
Ten separate parcels distributed throughout the village. Cask sample.
Mid bright ruby. Red cherries and floral notes. Elegant and fragrant with none of the darker, ripe fruit of many a classic Volnay. Neither heavy nor forced. Good freshness on the finish and no question of dilution. Good. (MH)
75% of Lafarge’s 1 ha of Les Aigrots is planted to Pinot Noir, the rest to Chardonnay. To the north and north-east of Clos des Mouches. Cask sample.
Mid ruby. Red cherries on the nose and palate. Freshness and quite airy. Solid premier cru concentration though. No dilution or lack of presence. (MH)
Cask sample. Mid-pale ruby. Strawberry-led, with red cherry and some spice on the palate. More pronounced structure than the Aigrots, but in no way showing the more aggressive tannins of some other Beaune crus. Retains trademark elegance and modest fruit. (MH)
Bottled only in magnums since 2015 owing to its greater body and character and benefiting from extra bottle age. Cask sample.
Bright mid crimson. Clearly not as full-bodied and ripe as other vintages – red cherries on the nose and palate, with a floral touch. There is real finesse for the Pinot purist here and the structure is supple and quite forgiving. (MH)
Cask sample. Mid ruby. Bright and luminescent hue. Complex savoury nose of raspberry and woodland berries. Floral character, too. Elegant and refined with quite plush but fine tannins. Neither showy nor voluptuous. (MH)
Since 2021 replanted in a spiral. Smallest yield of the domaine in 2024. Cask sample.
Mid-pale ruby. Lovely floral and strawberry nose. Sweet red cherry on the palate. More body and weight than the Mitans with a ripe texture and ripe, integrated tannins. Closer to the classic Volnay profile but still erring to elegance and refinement. (MH)
Cask sample. Mid crimson. Red-cherry and raspberry fruit character. Medium-plus body and ripe texture. Concentrated with fine texture, depth and length while always preserving its elegant and refined style. (MH)
Monopole. Cask sample.
Mid crimson. Sweet red cherry on the nose and palate. Quite full and strident tannins and structure. Amplitude and breadth. A keeper. (MH)
