Lafarge Volnay 1er cru Clos des Chênes 2005

94-97 points Fine Wine Review: "The Volnay-Clos des Chênes is most complex in the nose with deep, flinty chipped stone and mineral aromas. In the mouth, the wine shows great finesse and minerality with depth, laciness, again the peach elements of the vintage, and tremendous energy. (Issue #115; 2007)"

95+ points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "Full ruby-red. Pure, complex but restrained nose offers blackberry, black cherry, licorice, spices and black pepper. Wonderfully intense and vibrant, with a compellingly chewy texture and great thrust to the highly concentrated dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors. The fine-grained tannins spread out to saturate the palate of this powerfully structured Volnay, with the wine's perfume lingering in the mouth for minutes. I asked Frederic when the estate last made a Clos des Chenes as good as this, and he replied that it's the best since the '61. Extended bottle aging may well bring an even higher rating. Volnay doesn't get much better than this."

95 points Robin Kick, MW (Decanter): "The 2005 vintage is one of the greatest in the last 50 years, known for its notable fruit, density and power. Many will need years of cellaring before they reveal their true selves. This also rings true for the 2005 Clos des Chênes. Displaying a youthful core of red and black bramble fruits, spice and sandalwood, its palate is tightly wound and blanketed by firm but polished tannins. Despite its heavyweight stature, it remains balanced and fresh. Drinking Window: 2026-2048. (Nov 2019)"

94 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "This brooding effort continues to evolve slowly but surely with its beautifully elegant and highly complex nose of extract of dark berry fruit that is just now displaying some hints of secondary fruit and lovely complexity. The big-bodied, serious and robust flavors are still moderately firm and impressively concentrated, all wrapped in a palate drenching finish where the copious dry extract imparts a velvety texture to the strikingly long finale where the only nit is a hint of warmth. While this is not so tight and structured that it could not be enjoyed now, at least with 30 minutes or so of air, it would not surprise me if this turned out to be a 50+ year wine. Tasted thrice since release with consistent notes. Drink: 2025+. (Apr 2020)"

94 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "As is most often the case in the Lafarges’ cellars, the Clos des Chênes is the best wine in the lineup in 2005, though this year only be a very small margin. The bouquet is deep and celestial, as it offers up notes of red berries, plums, black cherries, blood orange, cocoa, lovely terroir, and just a touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and focused, with a more reticent palate impression than the Caillerets or Clos du Château des Ducs, but with great reserves for down the road. The finish is very, very long, laser-like and tangy, with fine-grained tannins and superb grip and nascent complexity. A tour de force bottle of Volnay. 2015-2040+. (Nov/Dec 2006)"

94 points Jasper Morris, MW (Inside Burgundy): "Dense bright youthful red, more like a five year old than approaching 15. The nose too suggests immense power, without being clumsy, but the tannins are certainly still very present on the palate. Its just a question of time because there is such a volume of dark youthful fruit which will start to take over in another 10 to 15 years. When open for 90 minutes the bouquet has completely changed direction and become explosively rich. Immense weight here, my opinion that this is a truly great vintage is reinforced! (Nov 2019)"

(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)