2012 Volnay Caillerets

A total stunner, the 2012 Volnay Caillerets brings together the perfume of the Mitans with the darker fruit and more imposing structure of the Clos du Chateau des Ducs. If that sounds appealing, well, it is. This is another drop-dead gorgeous wine. Vivid and nuanced to the core, the 2012 is a wine you could get lost in. Sweet red fruit and floral notes are supported by fine, chalky tannins that add energy and minerality. What a gorgeous wine this is.

Red soils for minerality above calcaire. Just 20% of usual production. They used some small tanks in 2012 because they wanted to show their different terroirs in Volnay. Majestic character and then richness. Long and subtle but needs lots of time. (JR)

The 2012 Volnay 1er Cru Les Caillerets comes from a 0.28-hectare parcel that Frederic Lafarge acquired in 2000. It has a broody, tertiary red fruit profile compared to the Clos du Chateau des Ducs. It is still very well-defined and focused. The palate has a sensual opening, showing a little more body and roundness at this stage with a fine build towards the mineral-laced finish. Good presence and weight here—a long-term Volnay. I visited Domaine Michel Lafarge, tucked away in the nooks and crannies of Volnay village, where winemaker Frédéric Lafarge, Michel’s son who has worked at the domaine since 1978, escorted me through his cramped 13th-century arched cellars that are covered head to toe in thick black mold. You could imagine a witches’ coven in a dark corner. Instead, the only thing being conjured up here is magical wine. In any case, space is not so much of an issue these days since Frédéric told me that he lost 80% of the biodynamically cultivated crop in 2012 that affected all his parcels. Nevertheless, the show must go on and Frédéric seemed sanguine about the travails. Ever a thoughtful, softly spoken gentleman, I can imagine that he would take it in his stride, with recourse to his father if necessary. He commenced picking on September 20, but in earnest from September 24. The fruit is destemmed and undergoes natural ferment with prudent pigéage. These were generally light and tensile, predominantly Volnay wines surfeit with minerality and poise, the prudent use of oak (around 15% maximum) allowing the individual terroirs to be expressed articulately. They will provide pleasurable early drinking, yet Lafarge’s wines tend to be deceptively long lived if you can manage to track them down. Importer: A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet, various American importers, including: Martin Scott Wines, Little Neck, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808; Veritas Imports, Beverly Hills, CA; tel. (310) 205-3803; Toepfer Imports LLC, CO; tel. (303) 818-7640