Lafarge Volnay 1er cru Caillerets 2002

96 points Fine Wine Review: "The Volnay-Caillerets is pure deep and harmonious and showing dark fruit. 2012-2032. (Issue #103; 2004)"

92-94 points Pierre Rovani (Wine Advocate): "Surprisingly, given my past proclivities, my favorite of Lafarge’s efforts in this vintage was the 2002 Volnay Caillerets. Displaying exceptional depth, definition, and elegance, it broadens on the palate to reveal sappy red fruits and plums. Medium-bodied, this gorgeously nuanced wine also displays a lengthy, ripe, fruit-filled finish. Projected maturity: 2007-2017."

93+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 2002 vintage of Caillerets from the Lafarge family is still a handful of years away from reaching its plateau of maturity and is still a bit tight when first opened. It is not that the wine is unenjoyable to drink today, but it is still a tad primary in personality and another half dozen years or so in the cellar will certainly allow it to more completely blossom. The bouquet is my favorite part of the wine today, as it offers up a beautiful blend of cherries, red plums, gamebird, a touch of mustard seed, a lovely base of stony soil tones, a residual hint of sweet stem tones and a lovely topnote of woodsmoke. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, tangy and complex, with a fine core of red fruit, lovely mineral undertow and grip, modest tannins and a long, vibrant and still promising finish. Just a bit more patience is going to be very highly rewarded. 2028-2070. (Mar/Apr 2023)"

92 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "A black fruit nose of superb complexity complements perfectly elegant, pure and impressively textured flavors that offer excellent power and plenty of finishing punch and persistency. There is a solid tannic backbone but there is so much sap and velvet that the structure is completely buried. A terrific effort that has the legs to age for years but could be approached earlier because of the great mid-palate density. Outstanding! Drink: 2012+. (Apr 2005)"

(Note on bottle condition: These older Lafarge wines are from a perfect French cellar, and its relatively high humidity has incurred some mold and cosmetic degradation of the labels. These cellar conditions are identical to the Lafarge cellars themselves, where bottles are not labeled until immediately prior to shipment, as they're blanketed with black mold until that point. The bottles are otherwise pristine with excellent fills and capsules. Images may be furnished upon request. -WHWC, May 2024)