2023 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru 'Santenots-du-Milieu'
Lamont's Cottesloe
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Average Critic Score: 94.75/100
Lafon farms close to half of the Santenots-du-Milieu climat - around 3.8 hectares, with plantings from 1944 through to 1978. The vineyard sits physically in the commune of Meursault but is sold as Volnay premier cru because it is planted to Pinot Noir. Shallow, iron-rich red clay over hard limestone, east-facing and early-ripening, which is what gives the wine its darker, more savoury frame than true Volnay.
Lafon's Santenots is a reference for the appellation in each vintage; 2023 is no exception. It offers a ripe, forward blackberry and blueberry fruit character with earth, smoke and spice notes. The texture is substantial, with firm tannins and abundant extract, but there is nothing heavy or astringent here. - Charles Curtis MW, Decanter (96 pts)
Fully destemmed with no whole clusters used in 2023, fermented in stainless steel, then eighteen to twenty-two months in barrel, a third of it new. Christy Canterbury MW and Sarah Marsh MW both scored it 94, and Matthew Hayes 17+/20. The domaine's most structured and longest-lived red - Canterbury advises stashing it away for a while.
Critic Reviews
96 Points - Charles Curtis MW, Decanter
“Lafon's Santenots is a reference for the appellation in each vintage; 2023 is no exception. It offers a ripe, forward blackberry and blueberry fruit character with earth, smoke and spice notes. The texture is substantial, with firm tannins and abundant extract, but there is nothing heavy or astringent here. Although Pierre Lafon has begun to experiment with whole clusters in the ferment, there was none in any wine this vintage. This wine was racked after harvest 2024 and will be bottled in the spring. Reviewed May 2024. Drink 2030-2060.”
95 Points - Neal Martin, Vinous
“The 2023 Volnay Les Santenots-du-Milieu has another very delineated, quite floral bouquet that is cut from a similar cloth to the Champans, with just a touch of violet emerging with time in the glass. More powerful than the other Volnays, the palate is well balanced, with great depth and white pepper and graphite notes toward the very persistent finish. This is a Volnay Santenots with well-placed ambition, much more elegant than vintages 10 or 20 years ago. Reviewed Nov 2024. Drink 2027-2050. (93-95 pts)”
94 Points - Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
“Not racked. A fine ruby to purple colour, not too intense, but the bouquet is. A little blood orange alongside strawberry and more. At the start of ripeness yet needed picking, there is a lactic oak from the barrel, but I like the way the fruit keeps returning in waves. More energy and fresher fruit in a second barrel, and certainly very persistent. Reviewed Oct 2024. Drink 2032-2038. (92-94 pts)”
94 Points - Christy Canterbury MW, TimAtkin.com
“Brooding in comparison to the other Volnays, this shows more black fruits on the nose. It also hits differently on the palate with snappy tannins and pulsating acidity. Seriously vigorous, granular in texture and saturated with mineral and black tea inflections on the finish, there is a watershed of complexity that will open in due time. Stash this away for a while. Burgundy 2023 Special Report.”
Wine Details & Information
Vintage: 2023
Varietal / Style: Pinot Noir
Producer: Domaine des Comtes Lafon
Country: France
Bottle size (ml): 750ml
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