Michel Lafarge Bourgogne Rouge 2017

“The 2017 Bourgogne Pinot Noir bursts from the glass with a fruit-driven bouquet of cherries, raspberries and cassis. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, tangy and melting. It should drink well out of the gates. 86-88 points

The 2017 is a lovely success for the Domaine Michel Lafarge, one of the great estates of the Côte de Beaune. As usual, these are elegant and classically proportioned wines, cut from quite old-fashioned cloth. The suppleness and purity of fruit that characterize the vintage at its best are on evidence, and the domaine’s lower appellations will drink well in their youth, but the emblematic wines will emphatically reward bottle age. Indeed, to my palate, it’s only with time that these soulful Volnays reveal the true extent of their quality. Lafarge followers will find stylistic parallels with both 2007 and 2000. And thankfully, despite some spring frost, this is a comparatively generous crop for a domaine beset with below-average harvests for the better part of a decade.”

William Kelley, Wine Advocate (01/19)