Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er cru Champans 2017

95 points Tim Atkin, MW (Decanter): "Made predominantly from vines that are over 90 years in age, this is another wonderful premier cru from a winemaker who is equally talented at making red and white wines. Showing some limestone freshness and minerality, it's a wine with remarkable poise, focus and finesse, full of crunchy pomegranate and red cherry fruit, detailed tannins and haunting palate length. Drinking Window: 2023-2030. (Nov 2018)"

91-94 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "(from 85+ year old vines planted in deep sandy soil with dense but small rocks). This is also lightly reduced and about the only element that can be discerned today is a soft application of wood. There is once again excellent freshness and verve to the slightly finer and equally mineral-driven flavors that display focused power on the driving and gorgeously complex finale. In the same fashion as the Clos des Chênes, this is not a monster of concentration but boy is this pretty. Drink: 2029+. (Apr 2019)"

93 points Jasper Morris, MW (Inside Burgundy): "Mid red to crimson with a lighter rim. Some savoury character but attractive fruit too. Superbly succulent in the front of the mouth, perfect acidity, a few tannins which are fine for this terroir, medium depth and weight, with very good length. Bottled with a DIAM 30 organic closure. (Sep 2021)"

91-93 points Fine Wine Review: "Lafon’s Volnay-Champans is smooth and light, but has Champans fleshiness. The fruits are long and red, and there is good purity here. (12/17/18)"

92+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "I was expecting perhaps just a bit more mid-palate sappiness with the very old vines in Champans on their own in 2017, but perhaps they were still feeling some ill effects from the severe frost of 2016 and needed a bit more time for complete recovery. This is not meant as a criticism, as this wine is excellent, but just not quite as sappy as I was anticipating. The nose is pure, complex and beautifully pure, wafting from the glass in a fine mix of red and black cherries, raw cocoa, pigeon, lovely minerality, a touch of spice and a discreet framing of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and soil-driven, with a good core of fruit, ripe, suave tannins and excellent backend energy and lift on the long and complex finish. A fine bottle. 2027-2065. (Nov/Dec 2018)"