2019 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay 1er Cru "Les Santenots du Milieu"

Those who overlook Lafon’s reds do so at their own peril. The Volnay Santenots du Milieu is a prime example. The domaine owns 4ha in this climat, considered among the greatest in Volnay. Only the old vines are used, some of which are more than eighty years of age.The gentle winemaking here gives the wine a lovely, perfumed ripe cherry character, floral notes and a distinct minerality, while the texture shows elegant, fine-grained tannins, surprising freshness and a marvellous finesse. Drinking Window 2024 - 2039. (CC)

A spicier and more deeply pitched nose of dark raspberry, floral, plum and exotic tea is trimmed in just enough wood to merit mentioning. The equally refined yet even more powerful and more concentrated flavors exude a subtle bead of minerality on the superbly persistent finish. This needs to develop more depth but the sheer density of material coupled with what will undoubtedly be an extended aging curve should enable that to occur. This is potentially superb. *Sweet Spot, Outstanding*