Lafarge Volnay 1er cru Clos des Chênes 2007

93-96 points Fine Wine Review: "The Volnay-Clos des Chênes is very mineral, pure and stony in the nose. The wine is pure and less structured than in some other vintages and shows elegance and complexity to its dark fruits. It should make a superb bottle for those who understand that this is Lafarge’s slowest-developing wine. (Issue #125; 2009)"

95 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "And the 2007 Clos des Chênes? Just stunning as well, as the wine soars from the glass in a beautiful mélange of cherries, red plums, cocoa, coffee, woodsmoke, simply great minerality and violets in the upper register. This too is remarkably red fruity in profile this year. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and structured, with great transparency, a rock solid core of fruit, great elegance and focus and a very, very long, tangy and brilliantly balanced finish. The tannins here are ripe and well-integrated, and the length and grip on the backend promise spectacular evolution in the bottle. 2017-2050. (Jan/Feb 2009)"

93 points/'Outstanding,' Allen Meadows (Burghound): "(from 45+ year old vines that sit just above Champans). A beguiling and seductive nose of earthy, spicy and highly layered red pinot and plum aromas lead to earthy, pure and gorgeously intense medium full-bodied flavors that possess real volume and power yet retain very fine detail and that extra dimension of depth that marks all great wine. This is a most impressive, if presently rather austere, effort and if you can find it, buy it - note however that patience will be required as this will require at least a decade to arrive at its peak. Drink: 2019+. (Apr 2010)"

18.5/20 points Julia Harding, MW (JancisRobinson.com): "Subtle, elegant, reserved perfume of red fruit. Taut and very fine, nervy and much slower to reveal itself. Excellent depth of flavour and length. (1/28/09)"

(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)