Lafarge Volnay 1er cru Clos des Chênes 2014

96 points Tim Atkin, MW: "This comes from a single one hectare parcel of old vines in one of the three best Premiers Crus in Volnay, and it’s a stunning wine in 2014: a refined, haute couture example of the village at its most enticing. Ethereal, delicate and scented, with a butterfly kiss of tannin and sweet raspberry, red cherry and redcurrant fruit. 2017-28."

91-95 points Fine Wine Review: "This is Lafarge’s flagship wine, and it’s been my privilege to taste some very old bottles direct from the cellar. This wine is pure and round with red cherry and strawberry fruit and it is relatively forward for a Lafarge Clos des Chênes. The late Hubert de Montille once explained to me that although in the Clos des Chênes vineyard, Lafarge’s parcel is a corner next to Taillepieds and geographically really is a Taillepieds, an insight that totally organized my understanding of all of the Volnay vineyards. It is firmer, slower to develop, and longer-lived than your standard Clos des Chênes. (12/14/15)"

94+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 2014 Clos des Chênes is gorgeous on both the nose and palate. The bouquet offers up a young and refined blend of red plums, cherries, gamebird, a touch of nutskin, fine minerality, cocoa and a nice topnote of gentle floral nuances. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and sappy at the core, with superb transparency, suave tannins and a long, pure and tangy finish. Classic Clos des Chênes. 2026-2075. (Nov/Dec 2015)"

93 points Neal Martin (Wine Advocate): "Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2014 tasting, the 2014 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes offers a clutch of wonderful aromatics: very pure red cherry, cranberry and strawberry scents with an underlying mineral seam that bursts through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, a crisp line of acidity and impressive salinity, and it is one of the few Volnays, at least in this particular flight, to show a persistent aftertaste. What a wonderful wine from l'equipe Lafarge. Tasted September 2017. Drink: 2019-2035. (Oct 2017)"

93 points Jasper Morris, MW (Inside Burgundy): "Bright colour, quite dense, as yet ungiving bouquet. There is a huge amount in this wine, it builds substantially to the back. For a difficult vintage, this displays an amazing wealth of muscular fruit, definitely a wine for the long term. (Sep 2017)"