I've always loved Lafarge's wines, but over the past couple of years I've grown obsessed with them.
When you drink old bottles of Lafarge, it really cements how profound, soulful and fine they are. They offer some of the most compelling and singular Burgundy experiences that I know.
Today, I'm happy to offer two of Lafarge's top wines from two vintages where Lafarge's style shines very brightly - 2011 and 2008 Clos des Chênes and Clos de Château des Ducs.
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I've said this so many times that it's hard to repeat myself, but probably necessary: 2011 Volnay is just killer. With both the Ducs and Chênes, I'm armed with lots of ammunition to back that statement up.
Starting with the '11 Ducs, it's a perfect illustration of Lafarge's success in 2011. It has all of the subtly, deep stony minerality and supreme elegance. Burghound captures it well when he writes, "There is excellent vibrancy and outstanding detail." As it usually does, Chênes kicks up the finesse level while delivering an insane amount of intensity and deep complexity.
We've been enamoured with Lafarge's 2008 for some time. They are fragrant, perfumed, stony, bright and pure. And just lovely. In the words of Michel and Frédéric, as quoted by the Burghound, "the vintage is one where the terroir of each and every wine is front and center." The '08 Chênes is simply epic and for the ages. The Ducs is utterly beautiful in its harmony and purity of expression.
It's been a long time since we've been able to offer out Lafarge's top wines. It often feels like many of my favorite Burgs are becoming painfully rare. Lafarge is an extreme case. My advice is to jump on this.
To order, reply to offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
Burghound: "A riper and more deeply pitched nose features terrific complexity with its moderately earthy aromas of red currant, dark cherry, plum and cassis hints. There is excellent vibrancy and outstanding detail to the generously textured, stony and complex middle weight flavors that finish in a mouth coating, persistent and delicately balanced finale. This is really quite good and worth a look."
Burghound: This is more deeply pitched still with a gorgeously pure, elegant and ultra-pure nose of dark berries, cherry liqueur and plum. There is marvelous concentration to the overtly muscular and powerful large-scaled, intense and mouth coating flavors that exude a fine minerality on the austere, serious and explosively persistent finish. This is a big yet perfectly balanced effort that will likely require a full 12 years of cellar time as the supporting tannins are very firm. Arguably the Clos des Chênes of the vintage."
Burghound: "A nose of pure pinot, violets and dissolved mineral notes complement to perfection the detailed and stone-driven medium-bodied flavors that possess fine volume and a gorgeously balanced finish. The harmony here is Zen-like."
Burghound: "This too serves up a remarkably layered if extremely reserved nose that displays plenty of earth and spice as well as very fresh and cool aromas of red and blue pinot, floral notes and an obvious mineral influence that continues onto the tautly muscular and overtly powerful big-bodied flavors that are long, serious and focused on the presently austere finish. It's interesting to compare the quality of the tannins between this and the Caillerets - here they are denser but less fine and as a consequence, this will need a few extra years of cellar time.."