Lafarge Volnay 1er cru Clos du Château des Ducs 2015

94-96 points Stephen Tanzer (Vinous): "(13.2% alcohol; two of the seven barrels were new): Medium red. Ineffable high-pitched perfume of crushed raspberry, red cherry and blood orange. Boasts compelling richness and depth of fruit, but a distinctly red quality in spite of its youthfully medicinal character. A wine of great sucrosité and early balance, this spectacular Volnay maintains its outstanding fullness and breadth through an almost endless finish. With its noble tannins, savory minerality and astonishing lightness of being, this is an essence of Pinot Noir. It would appear to possess the energy for a 30-year life span. One of the most spectacular young Volnays I've ever tasted. (Jan 2017)"

92-96 points Fine Wine Review: "The Clos du Château des Ducs shows minerality in the nose. The mouth has floral red fruits with great finesse. The wine is long, complete, and lovely. (1/10/17)"

95 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 2015 Clos du Château des Ducs is another absolutely brilliant wine in the making. The bouquet delivers a stunning aromatic constellation of raspberries, red plums, raw cocoa, gamebird, a beautiful base of minerality, gentle smokiness and just a whisper of cedar. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, complex and very much defined by its kaleidoscopic minerality, with a sappy core, fine-grained tannins, bright, vibrant acids and laser-like focus on the very, very long and seamless finish. Have I ever tasted a better young vintage of Clos du Château des Ducs? 2025-2075. (Nov/Dec 2016)"

95 points Tim Atkin, MW: "You can walk a few metres from the Lafarges’ cellar to this walled, 0.6-hectare vineyard to pay homage to the origin of this wine of enduring quality. For anyone who loves limestone-based Pinot Noir, this is heaven: stony, fresh and balletic with fine-grained, nuanced tannin and a sweet fruit core. 2020-28. (Jan 2017)"

93-95 points Neal Martin (Wine Advocate): "The 2015 Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs has what you might describe as an "aristocratic" bouquet, one that is distant and almost aloof at first and yet warming to you in its presence, revealing superb mineralité and tension. The palate is medium-bodied with thickset, rather rigid tannin that lend this body and density, the fruit darker and perhaps more masculine than Lafarge's Volnay Pitures and Mitans. It delivers a very focused, rather grippy finish and wonderful persistence. This has long-term prospects and should be reserved for those with patience or children with a penchant for seriously good Volnay. Drink: 2022-2045. (Dec 2016)"

93 points/'Sweet spot/Outstanding,' Allen Meadows (Burghound): "(from 50+ year old vines; a monopole of the domaine). A distinctly ripe yet not roasted nose reflects still relatively primary aromas of red and dark pinot fruit, floral, spice and tea nuances. There is good punch to the rich and solidly concentrated middle weight flavors that brim with minerality while displaying a caressing and sophisticated mouth feel on the reasonably well-balanced finish. I say 'reasonably' well-balanced as there is just a touch of warmth but it's not enough to materially detract from the overall sense of harmony. For my taste, this is still very much on the way up and I wouldn't touch a bottle for another 5 to 8 years. With that said, I suspect this will need around 20 years to reach its full apogee. Drink: Try from 2030+. (Feb 2024)"