Sign In

2013 Comtes Lafon Volnay Clos des Chenes

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

October 1, 2023 - $125

Estimate

RATINGS

90-92The Wine Advocate

...straitlaced black plum and blackberry bouquet...palate is medium-bodied with juicy ripe blackcurrant and cassis notes, very good depth here, and then surfacing on the finish with elegant and quite tensile tannins.

90Stephen Tanzer

Subtle flavors of kirsch, licorice, minerals and violet are given lift and definition by brisk acidity. Supple but sappy wine with firm but fine-grained tannins and a strong finishing note of licorice.

90-93Burghound.com

A more complex if not necessarily more elegant nose is comprised of red and dark currant, anise, sandalwood and marked earth scents. There is good detail and excellent volume to the more mineral-inflected middle weight plus flavors where the supporting tannins are a bit more fine-grained than usual, all wrapped in a powerful, balanced and impressively long finish. This is lovely...

17Jancis Robinson

Substantial and juicy blend of half late malo and half early malo... Lush and round. Masses of fruit. A little delicacy and a lot of fruit.

PRODUCER

Comtes Lafon

Comtes Lafon’s white Burgundies are among the most admired in the world. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that the domaine’s wines are “one of the reference points for white Burgundy.” Owned by the Lafon family and now run by Dominique Lafon, the domaine owns 34 acres of vineyards planted to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Based in Meursault, the domaine’s wines are Meursault, Montrachet and Volnay Santenots-du-Milieu. Parker has written that “low yields, ripe fruit, and a non-interventionist winemaking process are the norm at Lafon. The deep, cold cellars allow for a slow elevage….” Annual production is fewer than 5,000 cases.

REGION

France, Burgundy, Côte d'Or, Côte de Beaune, Volnay, Clos Des Chenes

Volnay is a small appellation with just 904 vineyard acres and a town of fewer than 500 residents. Nevertheless, to Burgundy enthusiasts, it's a jewel. Clive Coates calls Volnay “one of the most delightful wines and one of the most rewarding communes in the Côte d’Or.” Robert M. Parker Jr. described Volnay as “the queen of the Côte de Beaune.” Volnay has always been appealing. In the 13th and 14th centuries the powerful Dukes of Burgundy acquired land there and built chateaux. The medieval town sits on the hillside above the vineyards and the appellation is restricted to red wines made of Pinot Noir. Though there are no Grands Crus, there are 35 Premiers Crus. Some reviewers say the lighter soil of Volnay, compared with Pommard to the north, makes Volnay wines more delicate and elegant than wines from neighboring appellations. Robert M. Parker Jr. wrote that Volnay has a “high-quality level of winemaking…The top Volnays possess an immense, seductive fruitiness and lushness…”

TYPE

Red Wine, Pinot Noir, 1er (Premier) Cru

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.