Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er cru Santenots-du-Milieu 2016

96 points Tim Atkin, MW (Jan 2018).

93-95 points Stephen Tanzer (Vinous): "(these vines produced just 11 hectoliters per hectare in 2016): Healthy dark red. Fully ripe aromas of kirsch, boysenberry and dark chocolate. Quite rich and voluminous for the vintage, a step up in sweetness from the Champans. This seamless, juicy, perfectly balanced fruit bomb is not at all clenched or overextracted. Finishes with superb palate-saturating length and wonderfully refined tannins. It's quite striking today the way these wines in fûts maintain perfect clarity. When I asked Lafon to compare this wine to a previous vintage, he responded that he'd have to go back to 1985 or 1978. (Jan 2018)"

93-95 points Jasper Morris, MW: "I did not dare ask how much, or rather how little, there was of the Santenots, which is the domaine’s flagship red. Rich luscious purple, exceptional density while staying very pure and fresh. Vibrant, lively, not so concentrated on the palate except perhaps at the back. Fruit, tannin, acid in balance. (Jan 2018)"

94 points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "Aromas of dark cherries, incense, baking chocolate and rich soil tones introduce the 2016 Volnay 1er Cru Les Santenots-du-Milieu, a medium to full-bodied wine with superb depth and dimension, juicy balancing acids and powdery structuring tannins. The finish is long and sapid. It's an excellent Santenots that has really fleshed out since I tasted it from barrel. Drink: 2024-2050. (Jan 2019)"

93+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 2016 Santenots du Milieu from Comtes Lafon is another outstanding young Volnay. The wine is very pure and very refined on the nose, which offers up a fine blend of black currants, black cherries, a touch of eucalyptus, espresso, pigeon, dark soil tones, woodsmoke and a gentle base of new wood. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and beautifully structured, with suave, seamless tannins, a great core, fine soil signature, tangy acids and a very long, very pure and classy finish. This could end up similarly to the beautiful 1978 version in the fullness of time. 2024-2065. (Nov/Dec 2017)"

93 points Allen Meadows and 'Sweet spot/Outstanding,' (Burghound): "(from 40+ year old vines planted in shallow, high clay content soil sitting on a bed of solid rock; from yields of 11 hl/ha in 2016). A brooding and overtly floral nose combines notes of rose petal, violet and lavender with those of spiced plum, red currant and a whiff of earth. Lafon's Santenots is typically a fairly muscular wine but in 2016 it is more a wine of refinement though I stress that there is excellent concentration and punch on the impeccably well-balanced finish that flashes just a hint of austerity. Despite the refinement, make no mistake that this is a firmly structured wine that should be capable of aging effortlessly for years. Drink: 2031+. (Apr 2019)"

93 points Jasper Morris, MW: "Bright clear red purple, pure and refined nose with very good depth. This is balanced, restrained, intense and very long. The finish is impeccable, full of glossy stylish fruit and perfectly balanced acidity. Tasted: September 2019."

93 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2016 Volnay Santenots-les-Milieu 1er Cru has a complex and engaging bouquet with hints of meat juices and black olive filtering through the mixture of red and black fruit. There is plenty of Volnay character here. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, juicy and ripe with black cherries, raspberry and hints of spice towards the finish. Wonderful cohesion here from start to finish, with a caressing aftertaste, this is a beautifully crafted Volnay from Dominique Lafon. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting in Burgundy. (DIAM 30 closure) Drink: 2022-2045. (Oct 2019)"

90-94 points Fine Wine Review: "The wine shows red cherry fruit and is fresh and round — promising. 19 barrels here for 4 ha of land — about 10.7 hl/ha. Harvested 20, 22, and 23 September. (11/27/17)"