Decanted for one hour, then drunk with pork tenderloin, potato leek gratin, and roasted bell peppers. Fine balance, distinctive Volnay character, just a bit of bricking and fully resolved tannins. From a lesser vintage and not the very best Clos des Chenes I’ve ever had, but an excellent wine nonetheless, a fine reflection of its terroir and the Lafarge style.
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Drunk with a venison dish at Glass. An earthy bouquet of dark red fruit, spices, dried and freshly cut herbs and a hint of violet and rose florals. Robust, full and concentrated on palate although the persistent, fresh acids show the vintage character. No off-putting pyrazines however present. Seriously structured and powerful. Well balanced, the tannins now melded and softened. Savoury, spicy, herbal and mineral notes emerged with time in the glass. Very Volnay in character. Now drinking at its best and until 2030+, I would think. Paired well with the venison. 93+.
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Casual and Great Domaine Lafarge Tasting (Chez Winefool): Tasted alongside '11 Clos du Château des Ducs, and this is a step up across the board. Rich, dense red and black cherry with herbal accents. Excellent concentrated red cherry is impressive (especially in the context of 2011). Great balance of plump fruit and fresh, buoyant acidity. Round, appealing finish. At peak and should hold for 5-10 years.
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Drinking Some Great Lafarge as an Hommage to Becky Wasserman (The Winefool - Chicago IL): Tasted alongside the 2011 Clos du Château des Ducs from the previous flight. This Clos des Chênes was bigger, more harmonious and more complete, even wit a similar flavor and aromatic profile. Very good now. I have typically preferred Clos des Chênes over Clos du Château des Ducs until the most recent few vintages, and these 2011s were consistent with that view.
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This seems to be a fresher and more primary bottle compared to the previous one. Aromatics of sweet red berries, raspberries, stems, potpourri and spices. Lively vibrant acidity on the entry, savory medium bodied flavors of red cherry fruits, a mineralic core of slate, stone, clusters and soil. Terminates with a long and delicious finish.
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Il a eu besoin de 90 minutes pour s’ouvrir et se révéler civilisé. Un vin racé , séveux, ferrugineux, avec ce côté aérien et complexe du domaine qui me séduit tant. Revoir idéalement dans cinq ans. 92+
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An expressive bouquet of red berries, floral, spices whiff from the glass Very open on the palate displaying spicy red and black cherry fruit of medium bodied flavors, very good intensity, fine acidity, seamlessly well integrated core of minerals, savory, herbs, earth, forest floor and orange liquor. Ends with an insanely long and delicious finish. Very complex and drinking very well. This is superb.
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Nez un peu anisé, doucement épicé, des mûres. Tanins très soyeux, l’élégance est impressionnante, la complexité magnifique. Plus ouvert que j’aurais cru. C'est jeune, bien sûr, mais déjà délicieux. 92-93 pts
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Domaine Michel Lafarge Vertical Tasting (E&R Wine Shop, Portland OR): This offers a green, herbaceous nose, and that note carries onto the palate, which is puckering and lean, showing some green tannin. It still expresses its elegance and pretty side despite the green flavors. The finish is the prettiest part yet, though, showing more fruit (though still green toned). Lovely structure holds all that in place.
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Nose with raspberry candy, black cherries and a nice spicy green and herbal touch. Palate shows a mix between tart and sweet berries, some hints of green herbs, licorice and spices. Touch of vanilla (oak?), that should not be there, since almost no new oak is used in this wine. This is very young and undeveloped, but my guess are that this will come around and show better with some more cellar time. Good backbone and crispy acidity. Needs time. (89 – 91)
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Wines Tasted at HDH Auction (Tru - Chicago IL): Popped and poured. More black fruit than usual for Lafarge Volnay with hints of black and white pepper. Perhaps slightly less spice and floral elements today vs other vintages. This comes across as taut and austere given the wine's structure. Nothing green or bitter at all, but this will require patience. Exactly as I recall from La Paulee last month.
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HDH Burgundy Auction (Chicago, IL): The nose was attractive enough, with some bright red fruits, floral aromas, and some light stem notes. But then, the palate: stems. Stems, stems, stems. It isn't green, but it sure is off-putting. And I'm generally not one to shy away from stems, but this was just too much. Pass.
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Obviously young but this is a great Chenes in the making. Everything will come into place but has great depth of fruit, minerality, and acid, and so elegant with a great finish. Very good 2011
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2015 La Paulée Grand Tasting (Metropolitan Pavilion, New York): Finest, most complex aromatics of these wines. Ripe fruit, black licorice core and some sap, but concludes with screechy acidity and underripe green. Disjointed now, will probably be disjointed later.
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Grands Jours de Bourgogne 2014 Day 5: Volnay and Meursault, Corton 3-21-14: Nose is cedar. Palate is tighter vs Vdg Selec; more acid, somehow less promising to my palate at this juncture than Vdg Selec?! At least at this point. This will be a long-lived wine, so: I'm sure I'll be proved wrong at some point down the line!
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2011 Lafarge Whites and Reds (Arlequin Wine Merchant, San Francisco): Light ruby. Blackberry nose. Bigger than the AC Volnay but still only moderate weight. Tarry with some creosote. Serious black and dark red fruit with some sappiness. Long, earthy finish. This was very fine, in need of some aging, and clearly the top wine of the series.
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3/31/2024 - 831900_ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark red fruit, a touch of soil, some forest floor, and a hint of stewed dark fruit.
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5/29/2023 - Thellie wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for one hour, then drunk with pork tenderloin, potato leek gratin, and roasted bell peppers. Fine balance, distinctive Volnay character, just a bit of bricking and fully resolved tannins. From a lesser vintage and not the very best Clos des Chenes I’ve ever had, but an excellent wine nonetheless, a fine reflection of its terroir and the Lafarge style.
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5/21/2022 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drunk with a venison dish at Glass. An earthy bouquet of dark red fruit, spices, dried and freshly cut herbs and a hint of violet and rose florals. Robust, full and concentrated on palate although the persistent, fresh acids show the vintage character. No off-putting pyrazines however present. Seriously structured and powerful. Well balanced, the tannins now melded and softened. Savoury, spicy, herbal and mineral notes emerged with time in the glass. Very Volnay in character. Now drinking at its best and until 2030+, I would think. Paired well with the venison. 93+.
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8/31/2021 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Casual and Great Domaine Lafarge Tasting (Chez Winefool): Tasted alongside '11 Clos du Château des Ducs, and this is a step up across the board. Rich, dense red and black cherry with herbal accents. Excellent concentrated red cherry is impressive (especially in the context of 2011). Great balance of plump fruit and fresh, buoyant acidity. Round, appealing finish. At peak and should hold for 5-10 years.
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8/31/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Drinking Some Great Lafarge as an Hommage to Becky Wasserman (The Winefool - Chicago IL): Tasted alongside the 2011 Clos du Château des Ducs from the previous flight. This Clos des Chênes was bigger, more harmonious and more complete, even wit a similar flavor and aromatic profile. Very good now. I have typically preferred Clos des Chênes over Clos du Château des Ducs until the most recent few vintages, and these 2011s were consistent with that view.
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2/12/2021 - Wardyn wrote: 92 Points
This seems to be a fresher and more primary bottle compared to the previous one. Aromatics of sweet red berries, raspberries, stems, potpourri and spices. Lively vibrant acidity on the entry, savory medium bodied flavors of red cherry fruits, a mineralic core of slate, stone, clusters and soil. Terminates with a long and delicious finish.
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7/18/2020 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Il a eu besoin de 90 minutes pour s’ouvrir et se révéler civilisé. Un vin racé , séveux, ferrugineux, avec ce côté aérien et complexe du domaine qui me séduit tant. Revoir idéalement dans cinq ans. 92+
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4/3/2020 - Wardyn Likes this wine: 94 Points
An expressive bouquet of red berries, floral, spices whiff from the glass Very open on the palate displaying spicy red and black cherry fruit of medium bodied flavors, very good intensity, fine acidity, seamlessly well integrated core of minerals, savory, herbs, earth, forest floor and orange liquor. Ends with an insanely long and delicious finish. Very complex and drinking very well. This is superb.
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11/1/2019 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Nez un peu anisé, doucement épicé, des mûres. Tanins très soyeux, l’élégance est impressionnante, la complexité magnifique. Plus ouvert que j’aurais cru. C'est jeune, bien sûr, mais déjà délicieux. 92-93 pts
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5/8/2019 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 90 Points
Domaine Michel Lafarge Vertical Tasting (E&R Wine Shop, Portland OR): This offers a green, herbaceous nose, and that note carries onto the palate, which is puckering and lean, showing some green tannin. It still expresses its elegance and pretty side despite the green flavors. The finish is the prettiest part yet, though, showing more fruit (though still green toned). Lovely structure holds all that in place.
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7/27/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 89 Points
IPNC Weekend 2018; 7/26/2018-8/2/2018 (Linfield College, McMinnville, OR): Small glass over an hour. Medium red color. Solid, red to dark red fruits, briary, a bit brawny.
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9/29/2017 - rlove wrote:
Red fruit and floral notes, reticent and closed, difficult to assess.
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2/4/2017 - MarkLA wrote:
Giving up a little more fruit than a year ago. Acid-driven with a youthfully tight finish, but the depth is there. Could use another 4 years at least.
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6/24/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Musique & Vin Wine Tasting (Château du Clos de Vougeot): Tasting, brief note. Red and black cherry with floral tones and a super elegant style, especially in context of the 2011 vintage. Also good density on finish.
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5/10/2015 - johnh1001 wrote: 87 Points
Red fruit on the nose. Serious stems and white and black pepper on the palate. Nice enough, but not for me.
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4/16/2015 - Ramberg wrote: 89 Points
Nose with raspberry candy, black cherries and a nice spicy green and herbal touch.
Palate shows a mix between tart and sweet berries, some hints of green herbs, licorice and spices.
Touch of vanilla (oak?), that should not be there, since almost no new oak is used in this wine.
This is very young and undeveloped, but my guess are that this will come around and show better with some more cellar time.
Good backbone and crispy acidity.
Needs time.
(89 – 91)
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3/28/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Wines Tasted at HDH Auction (Tru - Chicago IL): Popped and poured. More black fruit than usual for Lafarge Volnay with hints of black and white pepper. Perhaps slightly less spice and floral elements today vs other vintages. This comes across as taut and austere given the wine's structure. Nothing green or bitter at all, but this will require patience. Exactly as I recall from La Paulee last month.
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3/28/2015 - acyso wrote: 83 Points
HDH Burgundy Auction (Chicago, IL): The nose was attractive enough, with some bright red fruits, floral aromas, and some light stem notes. But then, the palate: stems. Stems, stems, stems. It isn't green, but it sure is off-putting. And I'm generally not one to shy away from stems, but this was just too much. Pass.
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3/7/2015 - Sheila62 Likes this wine:
Obviously young but this is a great Chenes in the making. Everything will come into place but has great depth of fruit, minerality, and acid, and so elegant with a great finish. Very good 2011
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2/28/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
La Paulée de New York Grand Tasting (Metropolitan Pavilion - New York NY): Tasting, brief note. Clearly the star of today's Lafarge 2011 lineup. Black cherry and berry with some anise and thyme. Still slightly backward, but with very good power.
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2/28/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
2015 La Paulée Grand Tasting (Metropolitan Pavilion, New York): Finest, most complex aromatics of these wines. Ripe fruit, black licorice core and some sap, but concludes with screechy acidity and underripe green. Disjointed now, will probably be disjointed later.
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2/28/2015 - JOsgood wrote:
La Paulée de New York - Grand Tasting (Metropolitan Pavilion): A serious Volnay. The most structured of the range and clearly terroir does matter. Needs a bit of time but the materials are all there. Gorgeous Volnay.
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6/13/2014 - Gargantua wrote:
Grands Jours de Bourgogne 2014 Day 5: Volnay and Meursault, Corton 3-21-14: Nose is cedar. Palate is tighter vs Vdg Selec; more acid, somehow less promising to my palate at this juncture than Vdg Selec?! At least at this point. This will be a long-lived wine, so: I'm sure I'll be proved wrong at some point down the line!
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3/6/2014 - drwine2001 wrote:
2011 Lafarge Whites and Reds (Arlequin Wine Merchant, San Francisco): Light ruby. Blackberry nose. Bigger than the AC Volnay but still only moderate weight. Tarry with some creosote. Serious black and dark red fruit with some sappiness. Long, earthy finish. This was very fine, in need of some aging, and clearly the top wine of the series.
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5/25/2013 - KVM wrote: 92 Points
Very fragrant cherry. This has explosive fruit and spice. Cream on the finish. The tannis is firm, as per LaFarge formula.
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