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    245481|2011

Lafarge Volnay 1er cru Clos du Château des Ducs 2016

Pinot Noir from Volnay, Côtes de Beaune, Burgundy, France
JM 97
WA 95-97
TA 96
FWR 92-96
JG 95
AM 93-95
13.0% ABV
Item # 333465

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$245.00

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750ml
Out of Stock
 
97 points Jasper Morris, MW: "Glowing mid purple. A beautifully dense ripe red cherry and fine raspberry nose. This has energy and intensity beyond the norm. It makes an amazingly suave, complete mouthful, the fruit dancing across the palate: frankly this is quite glorious and the aftertaste is by some way the most persistent. Quite marvellous. (Jan 2018)"

95-97 points Neal Martin (Wine Advocate): "The 2016 Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs was destemmed by hand this year, with five people taking five hours to complete the entire vineyard. Apparently Frederic’s great-grandfather did the same in the late 1920s before there were destemming machines. It has an ethereal, brilliantly defined bouquet with disarming pure red berry fruit that, for want of a better expression, are just pure pinoté. The palate is defined by exceptionally fine tannins, real tension, slightly chalky toward the second half with laser-like precision. This will be one of the wines of the vintage--it is that good. Drink: 2022-2050. (Dec 2017)"

96 points Tim Atkin, MW (Jan 2018).

92-96 points Fine Wine Review: "The last wine shown at Lafarge is almost always either the Clos des Chênes or the Pézerolles, so when I was tasting the Clos des Chênes, I noted that we hadn’t tasted the Clos du Château des Ducs and wondered if it had been passed over by accident or if there was so little that it was not offered to tasted. It turns out that Frédéric presented it as the last wine because because of its quality. He thinks it is the greatest Clos du Château des Ducs the estate has made. Having tasted from barrel every vintage of that wine produced, I agree. This was the first vineyard picked and then there was a pause before going on to the next vineyards, so as an experiment, the grapes were destemmed by hand. It took 25 hours to accomplish the task. Was that the difference? I don’t know, but the wine is notable for the depth and intensity of its dark fruits. It is mineral and long and overall a complete wine. 30 hl/ha here, so the wine will be in reasonable quantity. (10/26/17)"

95 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "Frédéric Lafarge noted that their very best yields of 2016 were in the Clos du Château des Ducs and the wine has turned out brilliantly this year. This has all the inherent elegance of the best, non-frosted wines of 2016, as the nose soars from the glass in a refined constellation of red and black cherries, red plums, cocoa powder, gamebird, lovely minerality, sweet herbs and a topnote of woodsmoke. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very soil-driven in personality, with a sappy core of stunning fruit, ripe, seamless tannins and great focus and grip on the very long, very elegant and vibrant finish. A great vintage of Clos du Château des Ducs. 2028-2065. (Nov/Dec 2017)"

93-95 points and 'Don't miss!/Outstanding,' Allen Meadows (Burghound): "(from 50+ year old vines; a monopole of the domaine). Lafarge explained that this was made from fruit that was destemmed by hand using what the Burgundians call a claie en osier, or a lattice made of wicker that was placed on top of a fermenter; this approach was sometimes used in the 19th C). A dazzlingly pure, fresh and soaring nose features notes of essence of red cherry, currant, spice and soft floral scents. While the medium weight flavors do not have the same size and power of the Clos des Chênes, they are notably finer with a sleek muscularity and terrific length on the highly refreshing and energetic finish. This is really lovely stuff and a complete knock-out. Drink: 2031+. (Apr 2018)"

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97 points Jasper Morris, MW: "Glowing mid purple. A beautifully dense ripe red cherry and fine raspberry nose. This has energy and intensity beyond the norm. It makes an amazingly suave, complete mouthful, the fruit dancing across the palate: frankly this is quite glorious and the aftertaste is by some way the most persistent. Quite marvellous. (Jan 2018)"

95-97 points Neal Martin (Wine Advocate): "The 2016 Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Château des Ducs was destemmed by hand this year, with five people taking five hours to complete the entire vineyard. Apparently Frederic’s great-grandfather did the same in the late 1920s before there were destemming machines. It has an ethereal, brilliantly defined bouquet with disarming pure red berry fruit that, for want of a better expression, are just pure pinoté. The palate is defined by exceptionally fine tannins, real tension, slightly chalky toward the second half with laser-like precision. This will be one of the wines of the vintage--it is that good. Drink: 2022-2050. (Dec 2017)"

96 points Tim Atkin, MW (Jan 2018).

92-96 points Fine Wine Review: "The last wine shown at Lafarge is almost always either the Clos des Chênes or the Pézerolles, so when I was tasting the Clos des Chênes, I noted that we hadn’t tasted the Clos du Château des Ducs and wondered if it had been passed over by accident or if there was so little that it was not offered to tasted. It turns out that Frédéric presented it as the last wine because because of its quality. He thinks it is the greatest Clos du Château des Ducs the estate has made. Having tasted from barrel every vintage of that wine produced, I agree. This was the first vineyard picked and then there was a pause before going on to the next vineyards, so as an experiment, the grapes were destemmed by hand. It took 25 hours to accomplish the task. Was that the difference? I don’t know, but the wine is notable for the depth and intensity of its dark fruits. It is mineral and long and overall a complete wine. 30 hl/ha here, so the wine will be in reasonable quantity. (10/26/17)"

95 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "Frédéric Lafarge noted that their very best yields of 2016 were in the Clos du Château des Ducs and the wine has turned out brilliantly this year. This has all the inherent elegance of the best, non-frosted wines of 2016, as the nose soars from the glass in a refined constellation of red and black cherries, red plums, cocoa powder, gamebird, lovely minerality, sweet herbs and a topnote of woodsmoke. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very soil-driven in personality, with a sappy core of stunning fruit, ripe, seamless tannins and great focus and grip on the very long, very elegant and vibrant finish. A great vintage of Clos du Château des Ducs. 2028-2065. (Nov/Dec 2017)"

93-95 points and 'Don't miss!/Outstanding,' Allen Meadows (Burghound): "(from 50+ year old vines; a monopole of the domaine). Lafarge explained that this was made from fruit that was destemmed by hand using what the Burgundians call a claie en osier, or a lattice made of wicker that was placed on top of a fermenter; this approach was sometimes used in the 19th C). A dazzlingly pure, fresh and soaring nose features notes of essence of red cherry, currant, spice and soft floral scents. While the medium weight flavors do not have the same size and power of the Clos des Chênes, they are notably finer with a sleek muscularity and terrific length on the highly refreshing and energetic finish. This is really lovely stuff and a complete knock-out. Drink: 2031+. (Apr 2018)"

Product SKU 333465
Producer Lafarge
Country France
Region Burgundy
SubRegion Côtes de Beaune
Appellation Volnay
Varietal Pinot Noir
Designation Premier Cru
Vintage 2016
Size 750ml
Color Red
ABV 13.0%
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